The Next Psychic Duellist
by shadowfire-phoenix
Summary: The Dark Signers have been defeated. Peace is returning to Neo Domino City. It's back to catching scoops for Carly Nagisa. Until she starts having nightmares... CarlyxJack
1. Chapter 1 - Dreams and Nightmares

Yugioh 5Ds Fanfic

"The Next Psychic Duellist"

* * *

Setting: Just after the defeat of the Dark Signers (just prior to the end sequence of Episode 64). Alternate timeline here as I'm not very familiar with 5Ds' second season.

I don't own 5Ds or any of the characters, this is only a derivative work based on the series. No copyright infringement is intended. OCs used in this story are owned by me.

A/N: This is my first ever fanfic, so reviews are appreciated :)

Now that the official stuff is done, let's get on with the story!

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Chapter 1: Dreams and Nightmares

* * *

"_Be gone, Divine. Into eternal darkness!"_

_The enormous hummingbird struck the shell of the Arcadia building with explosive power._

_The man flew past her as the force of the blow knocked him through the wall of his office and over the balcony. His scream echoed through the building as he fell countless floors to the foyer below._

_She was dimly aware of another scream, a woman's, echoing from the balcony, calling Divine's name. She watched the hummingbird aspect as it disappeared into the earth from whence it had come._

_A surge of glee went through her at the irony of her revenge. Divine had fallen to his death, as she had._

_As the duel concluded, she felt suddenly dizzy; it had taken more of her energy than she had expected. She had to leave now._

_Outside Divine's office, she found a door with stairs leading to the roof. She climbed them quickly – the dizziness was getting worse – before staggering onto the roof…_

* * *

Carly Nagisa sat up in bed, gasping. Not another nightmare.

She drew her legs up and hugged herself as she tried to make sense of it. It had been the third in as many days. She didn't understand them, but she could clearly recall each of them. At first Carly thought it was just stress – or perhaps that leftover pizza – but three nights in a row seemed pretty weird.

She sighed. She still had no scoop for tomorrow and her boss seemed to be more impatient than he usually was, so Carly was dreading work tomorrow.

On impulse she decided to see her fortune. Retrieving her deck and glasses – luckily she had a spare pair, as her regular ones were broken – she pulled a card.

Uh oh. Ordeal of a Traveller. Carly still didn't know how this card got into her deck, or the other cards. Fortune Ladies? Future Vision? What happened to her Fortune Fairies? It didn't add up, but a lot of stuff wasn't adding up.

Carly was sure that she could remember getting ready a few nights back to infiltrate the Arcadia Movement so she could talk with that girl, Aki Izayoi, about the Signers. She had prepared everything – her notes, her disguise, her excuse for her boss. But she couldn't remember going there, only waking up the next morning to a banging on the door. She couldn't find her glasses but managed to stumble her way to the door of her apartment. Carly had never expected it to be Jack, not at that time of the morning, let alone the fierceness of his hug.

They had talked that morning, before Carly had to leave for work. There had been an earthquake, Jack had said. A lot of Satellite and part of Neo Domino City had been damaged, but thankfully few had died. The worst hit part of the city was the Arcadia building, apparently. Jack had been tight-lipped for the most part though; Carly could tell something was upsetting him. He had even left without saying goodbye while she was looking for her camera. She wished she knew what was bothering him, but she knew he was not the easiest man to get information out of, even for her.

Carly returned her attention to the card she had drawn. Ordeal of a Traveller meant that there were tough times ahead for her. But she had drawn the card upside down, which meant that there would be great rewards in the end. A strange draw, but Carly somehow felt it was a fitting one.

Returning her deck and glasses to the bedside table, she tried to get some sleep before next morning came, but all Carly could think of was her nightmare and a certain blond-haired man who both captivated and confused her.

* * *

End of Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2 - A Woman's Determination

A/N: Balancing study, work and fanfic is tricky and doesn't always go smoothly. But here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2: A Woman's Determination

* * *

"Carly, do you mean to tell me that NOBODY remembers anything?!"

She flinched at the fury of her boss's voice before nodding her agreement. She couldn't believe it herself. Nobody she had questioned in town remembered anything about an earthquake. They were shocked at the damage to the Arcadia building, when they weren't talking about the Daedalus Bridge and how people of Satellite would be free to come and go from Neo Domino City and how outrageous it was.

"Carly!" her boss drew her attention back to the present.

"It's been three days, sir. I must have interviewed the whole city and nobody knows!"

Her boss returned to the head of the table as they discussed the front page for the next issue. He was livid that he had quite possibly the biggest scoop the paper had known in forever, but had no witnesses. His senior reporters had had no success with Sector Security, with rumours that Director Godwin had gone missing. Carly found it quite understandable, but it didn't mean he had to be quite so loud about it.

"Well, Carly, it appears you're our last hope here," her boss said in a very quiet voice. Too quiet. "Nearly all the information we have on this situation has come from your source. We need to bring us more information – all you can get!"

"Yes sir!" she replied.

As she excused herself from the meeting, Carly understood the ordeal her fortune had illustrated for her. Jack held all the answers. Him and his fellow Signers, she was sure of it. But getting answers out of Jack was like getting blood from a stone. She would have to talk to others first, piece together some of the story, before tackling him. Who to talk to first?

Yusei Fudo. Of course. Carly knew him, and he had known Jack for a long time. And she knew where to find him, or at least she had an idea of where to look. He had been born in the city, but had spent most of his life in the Satellite. Then again, Yusei might not know any more than she herself did. But he and Jack were connected, by their history and by the Signers' birthmarks.

Carly paused to check her fortune. Great. It was Fortune's Future this time. It meant a cloudy future, where she might have to take a gamble. Not a positive sign, but at least it wasn't a bad one, right?

Outside Carly got into her car and started the engine. She would have to get to Satellite somehow, but she had an idea of how she might be able to do that.

* * *

Ushio Tetsu waited in his office.

Since the defeat of the Dark Signers life had been good to him, with a promotion and a new office to boot. The only downside was he couldn't get out of the office much, and he missed the beat patrols he used to run. Still, it was worth it to be closer to Mikage.

However, Ushio was a little apprehensive about his next visitor. He recalled Carly Nagisa had been pursuing Jack for an interview, after his loss in the Fortune Cup. But as Ushio seemed to be one of the few people who could remember the events of the past few days, he was unsure of how much to say. And whether it could believed.

The door opened as a member of Sector Security escorted Carly in.

"Carly, hello," said Ushio. "What can I do for you?"

"Wow, nice office. I heard you got a promotion. Are you liking it so far?"

She had a smug little smile on her face. Ushio knew she had a number of sources but he didn't expect the knowledge to go public quite so quickly.

"It's good," he answered with a shrug. "Pays better, but I miss the streets sometimes. Now, what can I do for you?"

Carly tensed, and Ushio braced himself.

"I need to get to Satellite," she said very quickly.

Ushio was lost for words.

* * *

Carly wondered if she'd made a huge mistake. She knew she had to take risks to get the big scoops, but was this worth it? She recalled the conversation she'd had.

"_No? What you do mean, no?"_

_Ushio hesitated before answering._

"_I mean no. The director has given clear orders that there is to be no further travel to Satellite without his authority."_

"_Director Godwin hasn't been seen since the earthquake," Carly retorted. "If that's what happened, since conveniently no one remembers. You won't fool me."_

_Ushio looked flustered, but quickly recovered his composure._

"_How's this for an answer then? Sector Security is under no obligations to assist the media. I won't commit any of our resources to helping a reporter dig up what should be left forgotten. Uh, I mean…"_

"_AHA!" said Carly in a triumphant voice, as Ushio realised what he had just said. "So there WAS something more to this! I knew it! Spill the beans! What is Sector Security hiding out in Satellite?"_

"_Now you listen here…" Ushio began._

"_Let me handle this, Ushio," said Mikage Sagiri as she entered his office._

_Ushio stopped, blushing, and mumbled his assent under his breath._

_Mikage turned to Carly. "Hello Carly. So why do you want to go to Satellite?"_

"_This whole matter isn't right," Carly replied. "An earthquake nobody remembers in the whole city? I'm sure it has something to do with the Signers, and probably those Dark Signers too. But I don't know where they are. I'm assuming Yusei is still in Satellite, so I want to head there and interview him."_

_Mikage watched her with sad eyes as she digested what Carly had said._

"_You should forget this whole thing, Carly," she said finally. "Write your piece stating an explosion and fire caused the damage to the Arcadia building. Sector Security will corroborate your story. We can all move on with our lives. Just let the matter go. Please."_

_Carly was stunned. Sector Security willing to back up her story? It might work. But it didn't address the damage to Satellite. Carly knew they were trying to keep her away. But why?_

"_I'm sorry. I must know."_

_There was pity in Mikage's eyes. Why pity, she thought. Pity for me?_

_Mikage cleared her throat and turned to Ushio._

They had got her on one of the regular night-time helicopter runs out to check the damage to Satellite. She'd had no time to pack anything except her camera. The pilot had instructions to drop her at a location a short distance from the home of someone called Martha. Apparently Yusei and his gang were staying there.

As the chopper had flown in over the bay, Carly had remembered the night she'd come here with Jack. Back when Yusei was duelling against his friend Kiryu in that riding duel. Back when Jack had told her to stay out of his business with those Dark Signers. Even the chilly night air seemed the same.

She wasn't used to wearing a duel disk. It was heavy on her arm. Ushio had given it to her, saying Satellite was dangerous at the best of times and that it might help her out of a tough spot. Carly thought Sector Security would have had access to better quality duel disks, but no time for that now. Because this neighbourhood was nothing like what she had expected. No people around. No regular street lighting, in fact none at all. She'd had the spotlight the chopper was carrying, but once it had gone all Carly had left to see by was the moon.

She was never great with directions, so it didn't take her long to get lost. Surely it should just be around here somewhere, but it wasn't easy to get one's bearings here. Sighing, again she wondered if she'd made a mistake coming here. Carly had neglected to ask about whether she would be able to get a lift back in the same way she arrived.

She pulled a card from her deck. It was Fortune Lady Fire. An uncertain future. She'd had too many cards like that lately. Carly tried to put it out of her head.

Then she noticed the two men walking towards her.

One was short, the other tall. In the moonlight she could see the short one was thin faced, while the tall one had a criminal mark on his forehead and was missing a tooth. Both of them had lank, dirty looking hair. She looked around for somewhere to go, but too late; they had spotted her.

"Hey Girly! You're out late!" the short one called.

Carly raised her duel disk defensively. They definitely did not look friendly. The tall man crossed his arms, while the short one leered at her.

"What's in the bag?" he said, referring to the pack she was carrying.

"That's n-none of your business!" she stammered.

"Oh but it is," replied the short man. "I like free things. Especially when I get to take them from someone else. Tell you what. Theo and I are after a bit of fun tonight, and you have a duel disk. Let's have a duel. You win, we leave you alone. I win, I get your pack. Oh, and your duel disk and deck!" he added with a snigger.

Carly grit her teeth in frustration, but could see no other way out. "You're on!" she said, readying her duel disk.

* * *

End of Chapter Two


	3. Chapter 3 - The Duel

A/N: Some badly needed proof reading and name consistency has finally occurred on those first two chapters. Also a summary of the duel is at the end of the chapter, for those of you interested.

Also a note that I will be using English card names for this story. While I'd prefer to use the original translated Japanese names, I'd rather use names that are more easily recognisable in TCG format and keep to a regular pattern of names rather than a mix of Japanese and English names. Characters I'll be trying to use their translated Japanese names though.

Anyway, that's enough from me. On to Chapter 3!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Duel

* * *

"I'll go first," said the short man, putting on his own duel disk. "How's this? Vorse Raider!" as he slammed the card down on the disk. The hideous looking creature appeared on the field, curved axe gleaming. He then selected another card.

"That's not all. I'll add this. Axe of Despair! It adds one thousand attack to my Vorse Raider!"

An evil-looking axe replaced the one in the creature's hand. And the short man wasn't done.

"And then this! Lucky Iron Axe! It adds another five hundred!"

The axe in the Vorse Raider's hand grew even bigger. And nastier. And he still wasn't done.

"And finally this! Sword of Dark Rites! It adds another four hundred!"

A barbed sword appeared in the Vorse Raider's other hand. The short man laughed.

"Lucky for you I can't attack straight away. So I'll end turn now."

Carly was glad for that. At 3800 Atk she was in serious trouble already. And she wasn't very familiar with her new deck in terms of its duel potential.

"My turn then. I draw!"

She examined her hand. She had three monsters, Card Ejector, White Magician Pikeru and Fortune Lady Wind. None of them could stand up to the short man's Vorse Raider. Her two spell cards, Magicians Unite and Solidarity, would not help either. However she had drawn Ordeal of a Traveller, which might help. It was a gamble, but it was her best shot.

"Get a move on!" called the short man impatiently. Carly grimaced and made her move.

"I'll summon Fortune Lady Wind in defence position."

The green spellcaster materialised on the field.

"What's that? Its attack points are undetermined?" asked the short man.

"Fortune Lady Wind's attack and defence points are determined by her level times three hundred," explained Carly. "She's level three, so her attack and defence are nine hundred. But that's not all; she has a special ability too. She can destroy one of your spell cards, and I'm destroying Axe of Despair!"

The fortune lady lowered her wand and green energy fired from it at the axe card, destroying it. The Vorse Raider's axe reverted to a less-evil looking axe.

"I'll set a card and end my turn," Carly finished.

"It's my turn then," replied the short man. "Draw! Now I'll summon Tiger Axe!"

The humanoid tiger appeared on the field, with its own wicked looking axe.

"Now for the fun part. Vorse Raider, attack her Fortune Lady!" cried the short man as the warrior leapt forward.

"Not quite! Activate continuous trap, Ordeal of a Traveller!" replied Carly. "You have to guess whether a card in my hand is a spell, trap or monster card. If you guess wrong, your monster goes back to your hand!"

"Fine then. First card from the right is a trap card!"

"Bzzz! Wrong!" laughed Carly, looking at her Solidarity spell card. "Your monster is gone, and so are your spells!"

The short man cried in anguish as his monster returned to his hand, with all his equip spells on it going to his graveyard. But he quickly recovered.

"That won't work a second time, girly. This time Tiger Axe will attack, and this time I'm guessing that same card I picked last time is a spell card!"

Uh oh, he was right. Tiger Axe's attack continued, destroying her Fortune Lady Wind.

"Well that's better. I end my turn," said the short man.

"My turn then. I draw!"

Another monster, Ebon Magician Curran. Still not as powerful as his monster, plus he still had that Vorse Raider in his hand, she thought. I guess I'll have to rely on luck another turn.

"I summon White Magician Pikeru in attack position. I'll then set a card, and end my turn."

She had set Solidarity. It did not help her, but at least it kept him guessing again for Ordeal of a Traveller.

"First I draw! Now I'll bring back an old friend. Vorse Raider!"

The creature returned to the field in its hideousness.

"Vorse Raider! Attack White Magician Pikeru!"

The creature began its attack.

"Wait up! I activate Ordeal of a Traveller!"

"Bah," replied the short man. "Alright then. First card from left, spell card."

Carly's heart sank. It was Magicians Unite, a spell card. The Vorse Raider cackled as her magician was defeated, dropping Carly's life points by seven hundred.

"Now, Tiger Axe, attack her directly! And I haven't forgotten your trap. I pick the same card as before, spell card!"

The direct attack cost Carly another thirteen hundred life points. She was down half already.

"That's all for now. I end my turn," sniggered the short man.

Carly wondered how she could possibly win this. She'd need a miracle. She was chasing the biggest scoop of them all. Most important of all, she was chasing the truth. All she could do is trust in her fortune. Carly knew Jack would believe in himself, and that's what she needed to do as well. Believe in yourself, Carly.

"My turn. I draw."

Carly gave a whoop of delight. It was Swords of Revealing Light. If she was just fortune telling, she would say this card was showing her the way. Instead she knew that she was about to turn this duel around.

"First off I summon Ebon Magician Curran in attack position. Then I activate Swords of Revealing Light!"

The short man stood in disbelief as the magician appeared on the field, followed by the swords of light bursting into life around him. He wasn't chuckling now.

"I end my turn," said Carly triumphantly.

The short man drew.

"I summon Panther Warrior in attack position."

The sinister looking warrior appeared, its sword gleaming.

"That ends my turn."

Carly could barely restrain her delight. Now she had drawn Mirror Force. And she could activate the effect of her magician.

"I activate Ebon Magician Curran's effect. For each monster on your side of the field, you take three hundred damage. I make that nine hundred total!"

Ebon Magician Curran gathered a ball of dark energy and fired it at the man, striking him in the chest. She had finally damaged her opponent! And it was only going to get better with her next move.

"I summon Card Ejector in attack position. Next I activate my spell card, Magicians Unite, which requires two spellcasters in attack position on my field. I use it to raise my Ebon Magician Curran's attack points to three thousand for this turn! And I'm using each of those attack points on that Tiger Axe of yours!"

Ebon Magician Curran, powered up by Card Ejector, sent a ball of black energy at Tiger Axe, destroying it and damaging the short man's life points for seventeen hundred. Carly was ahead!

"With that I set a card and end my turn," said Carly. Ebon Magician Curran's attack points went back to their original twelve hundred.

The short man drew.

"I activate Lucky Iron Axe. This raises my Panther Warrior's attack by five hundred."

The axe appeared in the Panther Warrior's other hand. It snarled behind the glowing swords.

"With that I end turn."

"My turn then. I draw," replied Carly.

Pot of Avarice. Not much use to her at the moment. She activated Ebon Magician Curran's effect again. Since he only had two monsters out, he only took six hundred damage, but that left him with only eight hundred life points. If only Jack could see her now.

"I end my turn."

The short man was definitely not happy now.

"I draw! And pass. There's nothing I can do this turn."

"My turn then. I draw!" Carly replied.

She had drawn Future Visions. She wasn't entirely sure how to use it effectively, so she decided to keep it for later. Her Swords of Revealing Light faded as their last turn elapsed.

Carly activated her magician's effect again, doing another six hundred damage. The short man flinched as he was struck by Ebon Magician Curran's dark energy attack. He was down to only two hundred life points. One more turn and she would win. But he was free to attack this turn, and if he summoned another monster he might well do just that.

Still, she had two facedown cards. They would have to be enough.

"I switch Ebon Magician Curran and Card Ejector into defence position and end my turn."

"My turn. I draw! And I hope you like defeat," he added snidely. Looking at his draw, his face lit up with satisfaction.

"I summon Enraged Battle Ox in attack position!" he cried as he activated the card. The enormous man-ox appeared on the field, clad in red armour and looking ready to take on whoever it could find.

"Enraged Battle Ox's special ability allows any beast, beast-warriors or winged beasts to inflict piercing damage on defence position monsters. That means all my beast-warriors can damage you regardless of your battle position!"

Carly's heart sank. Would she lose? It all rested on her face down cards. She hoped it would work.

"I attack Card Ejector with Enraged Battle Ox!"

Carly activated her face down card. The short man couldn't believe it. It was Mirror Force!

"I activate Mirror Force! This card stops your attack and destroys all your monsters in attack position!"

The short man cried out in disbelief as all his monsters were destroyed. He ended his turn sullenly.

Carly drew and switched Ebon Magician Curran into attack position.

"Wipe out his life points!" she cried. The magician obliged, sending another dark energy pulse into the short man. His life points hit zero.

She couldn't believe it. She had won. She had tried her best and she had won. Jack would be so proud of her.

As the duel holograms disappeared, the short man was swearing angrily at losing. The tall man, who had been watching impassively so far, had a similar angry expression on his face. They began to advance on her.

"Hey now, I won! Fair and square!" Carly exclaimed. "You said you'd leave me alone now!"

"You'll regret embarrassing me like that!" retorted the short man. "Give me that pack now!"

Carly ran. They were close behind. One of them grabbed her arm, but she shook him off. What a fool she was! Thinking they would just let her go. Turning into a side street, she stumbled on the road surface, nearly losing her glasses, but she managed to retain her balance and keep going.

She kept running through the streets of Satellite. It was all she could do to outrun the men behind her. Carly lost all track of time and direction. She wished she knew the area better, before she got completely lost.

And then she ran into a dead end.

The men chuckled evilly at her as they followed her in, pulling knives out of their duel disks.

Carly had a feeling these two were no longer after just her stuff. Her life was in danger. And there wasn't anything she could do about it. She was trapped in this alleyway with no way out. She would never get that scoop. She would never make a name for herself as a reporter. She would never hear the truth.

Worst of all, she'd never see Jack again.

_Never see Jack again._

_Never again._

_Never._

_NEVER._

_NO!_

Carly felt a sudden surge of power inside her, felt her anguish and sadness burst forth in a torrent, and all went black.

* * *

End of Chapter Three

* * *

Duel Summary

Turn 1 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He summons Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in Attack Position. He activates Axe of Despair and attaches it to Vorse Raider, giving it an extra 1000 Atk (1900-}2900). He then activates Lucky Iron Axe and attaches it to Vorse Raider, giving it an extra 500 Atk (2900-}3400). He then activates Sword of Dark Rites and attaches it to Vorse Raider, giving it an extra 400 Atk (3400-}3800) before ending his turn.

Turn 2 – Carly

Carly's hand contains Magicians Unite, Card Ejector, White Magician Pikeru, Solidarity, and Fortune Lady Wind. She draws Ordeal of a Traveller. Carly summons Fortune Lady Wind (?/?) in Defense Position. Fortune Lady Wind's Atk and Def are equal to her level times 300; since her level is 3, Fortune Lady Wind's Atk and Def become 900 (Fortune Lady Wind ?-}900/?-}900). Since Fortune Lady Wind was normal summoned, her effect activates, allowing Carly to destroy one spell or trap card on the short man's field for each Fortune Lady she had out; she has one, so she destroys his Axe of Despair. Carly then sets a card and ends her turn.

Turn 3 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He summons Tiger Axe (1300/1100) in Attack Position. He attacks Fortune Lady Wind with Vorse Raider. Carly activates Ordeal of a Traveller. The man selects the first card from the right and calls it a trap card, which is incorrect (it is Solidarity). Vorse Raider returns to his hand and Axe of Despair, Lucky Iron Axe and Sword of Dark Rites are destroyed. He attacks Fortune Lady Wind with Tiger Axe. Carly activates Ordeal of a Traveller again. The man selects the first card from the right and calls it a spell card, which is correct. The attack continues and Fortune Lady Wind is destroyed. He ends his turn.

Turn 4 – Carly

Carly draws Ebon Magician Curran. She summons White Magician Pikeru (1200/0) in Attack Position. She then sets a card and ends her turn.

Turn 5 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He summons Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in Attack Position. He attacks White Magician Pikeru with Vorse Raider. Carly activates Ordeal of a Traveller. The man selects the first card from the left and calls it a spell card, which is correct (it is Magicians Unite). The attack continues and White Magician Pikeru is destroyed (Carly LP 4000-}3300). He attacks directly with Tiger Axe. Carly activates Ordeal of a Traveller again. The man selects the first card from the left and calls it a spell card, which is correct. The attack continues (Carly LP 3300-}2000). He ends his turn.

Turn 6 – Carly

Carly draws Swords of Revealing Light. She summons Ebon Magician Curran (1200/0) in Attack Position. She then activates Swords of Revealing Light, preventing the short man from attacking for three turns, and ends her turn.

Turn 7 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He summons Panther Warrior (2000/1600) in Attack Position and ends his turn.

Turn 8 – Carly

Carly draws Mirror Force. Two turns remain on Swords of Revealing Light. Carly activates Ebon Magician Curran's effect during her Standby phase, doing 300 damage for each monster the short man has on his field; he has three, so he takes 900 damage (Short Man LP 4000-}3100). She summons Card Ejector (400/400) in Attack Position. She then activates Magicians Unite, choosing Ebon Magician Curran, who's Atk rises to 3000 (Ebon Magician Curran 1200-}3000), however Carly's other Spellcaster monsters cannot attack this turn. She attacks Tiger Axe with Ebon Magician Curran, destroying it (Short Man LP 3100-}1400). She sets a card and ends her turn. The effect of Magicians Unite ends, return Ebon Magician Curran's Atk to normal (Ebon Magician Curran 3000-}1200).

Turn 9 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He activates Lucky Iron Axe and attaches it to Panther Warrior, giving it an extra 500 Atk (2000-}2500), and ends his turn.

Turn 10 – Carly

Carly draws Pot of Avarice. One turn remains on Swords of Revealing Light. She activates Ebon Magician Curran's effect during her Standby phase; the short man has two monsters out, so he takes 600 damage (Short Man LP 1400-}800). She ends her turn.

Turn 11 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He passes his turn.

Turn 12 – Carly

Carly draws Future Visions. The effect of Swords of Revealing Light ends. She activates Ebon Magician Curran's effect during her Standby phase; the short man has two monsters out, so he takes 600 damage (Short Man LP 800-}200). She switches Ebon Magician Curran and Card Ejector into Defence Position and ends her turn.

Turn 13 – Short Man

Short Man draws. He summons Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in Attack Position. He attacks Card Ejector with Enraged Battle Ox. Carly activates Mirror Force, destroying all monsters in Attack Position on his field. He ends his turn.

Turn 14 – Carly

Carly draws Inherited Fortune. She switches Ebon Magician Curran into Attack Position and attacks the short man directly (Short Man LP 200-}0).

Carly Wins


	4. Chapter 4 - Scars

A/N: I would be keen on feedback on the duel and whether the summary is a useful guide, or whether it's not very useful. I'm also keen to hear if there's any errors in the duel (such as wrong attack points listed or incorrect ruling or such) so I can correct them. Please let me know :)

* * *

Chapter 4: Scars

* * *

Crow Hogan wasn't keen on patrolling around here. It was too close to the B.A.D, for one thing. Now that the people of Satellite were back after being sacrificed to those Earthbound gods, they were back to their old selves again. Which meant they were out causing trouble. But they were preferable to the Dark Signers, that was for sure.

It hadn't taken long for gang conflicts to spring up again. It reminded Crow of his days in Team Satisfaction. But he had serious business now. People in Satellite relied on him. His adopted kids and Martha needed all the help they could get while they all tried to rebuild. Sure, that fool Ushio had promised aid was coming, but Crow had dealt with him before. We can't rely on him, he thought. We have to trust in ourselves, our bonds. And with him, Jack and Yusei back together, they could do just about anything.

Suddenly he heard a sound like the loud crack of a whip, and distant cries. Crow pulled up his D-Wheel. That wasn't far from here, he thought. What was that?

He sped to where he thought he heard the sound, and was shocked by what he saw. A large crater occupied a dead end street. The entire cul-de-sac was wet as if it had been soaked in water. Nearby lay two men.

He moved to get a good look at them. It was Zippy and Theo, two of the B.A.D's biggest lowlifes. Crow had dealt with them before; they were arrogant and cunning, and had been sent to the Facility numerous times for rough behaviour, though it seemed Theo had himself a criminal mark now. They seemed to be injured – alive, judging by their groans, but injured. Crow felt a flash of amusement at seeing them suffering, but just what had happened to them?

He turned back to the crater in the road. It was deep, nearly half a metre so he guessed. And where did the water come from? The moon was out, so there had been no rain. There were no water sources nearby.

Then he saw someone lying in the crater.

His heart leapt. Surely no one could have survived that, whatever it was.

Crow leapt into the crater to pull them out. It was a girl, maybe about his age? She seemed to be alive still, but unconscious. She had a duel disk on her arm and a backpack on her back. Next to her lay a pair of glasses. Crow shook her gently but she did not respond. Maybe I'd better get her to Martha, he thought.

As he went to lift her up and take her back to his D-wheel, Crow saw something else on the ground. He retrieved it; it was a Duel Monsters card, Torrential Tribute. Maybe it had fallen out of her deck, Crow thought.

With the girl lying across the back of his D-wheel, Crow spend towards Martha's. Hopefully she would know what to do.

* * *

Yusei Fudo smiled at Jack as Martha went back into the house. She was right, it was getting late. His D-wheel had taken more of a battering in the riding duels with Kiryu and Rex Godwin than he had first thought, but he was nearly done. Still, he thought, I can finish that tomorrow.

He was glad for Jack's help. They had patched up a lot of their issues over the last few days as they had been repairing their D-wheels, though Yusei had noticed a change in him since the battle with the Dark Signers. He was more withdrawn and thoughtful, and grumpier than ever. Yusei suspected the battle had emotionally scarred him – it had done the same to Yusei. But Jack always deflected the question of what had happened whenever he was asked about it, so they had eventually stopped asking.

He and Jack had begun to put away their tools when Yusei noticed a D-wheel approaching. It was Crow's Blackbird; he was back early. Crow pulled up outside the house, looking grim. That's when Yusei noticed he had a passenger.

"Crow, what's wrong?" he began.

"We need to get her inside, Yusei," replied Crow. "I think she's injured."

Yusei hurried over to help Crow with the girl. She was unconscious, and damp as if she had fallen into the bay. That's when he recognised her; she was that reporter who was there when he had first fought against the Dark Signers. What was she doing here?

"Jack, are you ok?" asked Crow. He was looking over Yusei's shoulder at Jack.

Yusei turned. Jack was staring at the girl in complete shock.

"Jack, what is it?" Yusei asked. Jack did not reply.

* * *

Yusei and Crow bought the girl into the house as Martha hurried over. "What's happened here?" she asked.

"I found her out near the B.A.D," replied Crow. "She's been out cold since I found her."

Martha looked concerned. "Well, bring her into the next room and we'll make her comfortable."

They moved the girl into the bedroom. Yusei and Crow lowered her on the bed as Martha fussed with the bedcovers.

"She's damp all over. Had she fallen into the bay?" asked Martha. "At least she'll be warm enough where she is. Let's talk about this in the other room so she can rest."

Yusei and Crow were herded out of the room as Martha closed the door behind her. She was quickly on the phone to Doctor Schmitt. Meanwhile Crow explained how he had found her in a crater in the road, with Zippy and Theo nearby. By the time he had finished his tale, Yusei's grim face was a match for Crow's. Satellite was a dangerous place to be alone, especially for a girl. But answers might be some time in coming, if they came at all.

Jack's face had not changed from its expression of shock at seeing the girl. He abruptly got up off his chair and walked out of the house. Yusei heard the rev of an engine and screech of tyres outside, and ran to the door.

"Jack? Jack!"

But it was too late. Jack had sped off into the night.

* * *

"She's sustained some minor injuries," Doctor Schmitt concluded. "She'll have a few bruises but there's no serious injury. What I can't explain is her lack of consciousness."

"Do you mean she's in a coma?" asked Martha. She had never seen someone in a coma before, and it frightened her.

"Yes," replied the doctor. "I don't know what would have bought it on, or when she will wake up. Or even IF she will wake up."

"That's dreadful," said Aki, who had joined them in their discussion.

"The best I can recommend is keep an eye on her and let me know if her situation changes," continued the doctor. "Until then, I don't know what else I can do."

"Thank you doctor," said Martha. "And thank you for coming out at this time of night."

Doctor Schmitt bade them farewell and left.

"So now what?" asked Crow.

"You heard him," replied Martha sternly. "We watch her."

"We need to go out and look for Jack," said Yusei. "Something's really bothering him."

"Yeah, I'm worried too," agreed Crow.

"All right," conceded Martha. "But be careful!"

Yusei and Crow gave their assent before heading out into the night.

Martha sighed. Boys will always be boys, she thought.

"Miss Martha, is everything ok?" Rua said, poking his head around the door from the room the twins were sleeping in.

"Yes little one. You go back to sleep," replied Martha, eyeing the door to the room where the girl lay.

She shared a worried look with Aki. What had happened to that girl?

* * *

_She had killed a man._

_Regardless of how much he may have deserved it, she had killed him._

_This isn't what she wanted to happen. All she had wanted was Jack. Is this truly how far she was willing to go for him?_

_All the satisfaction she had gained from her revenge on Divine was gone. All that was left within her was emptiness. Jack was going to fight the Dark Signers. Would he fight her too? What was to become of her?_

"_We're here, Carly," said Misty, giving her a good shake. "Come on, Rudger wants to meet with you."_

_She walked with Misty, too caught up in her own thoughts. Jack…_

"_And now we are complete!" she heard a man exclaim. "The time of our victory is at hand! Wait… what's the problem?"_

_She registered her surroundings. They were in a dark room, lit only by the light of five candles. Four chairs surrounded a long table, two of them occupied with black-robed men, with another chair at its head. Sitting in it was a blond-haired man, also in black robes. It must be Rudger, the man who had spoken._

_She recognised one of the other men. It was Kiryu, Jack's friend. Former friend, now a Dark Signer._

"_She is still recovering from the shock of her transformation," supplied Misty. "Give it time. I'm sure she will come around."_

"_Give it time! We have no time for this nonsense!" said Rudger as he threw up his hands. "The Signers will be here before long. She had better be ready by then, or Atlas will destroy her."_

_Atlas? Jack?_

"_I-I have to fight Jack?" she cried._

"_Yes you do. That is the reason you are here. That is why the masters have bought you back. You are to kill Jack Atlas!" Rudger finished with a wicked grin._

_No…_

_She ran out of the room, screaming. She could hear Misty calling her name, telling her to wait, that it would be okay. But it wouldn't be okay. She wouldn't fight Jack. She wouldn't!_

_She found what seemed like an old bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she sat down on the bed and cried._

"_Why was I selected as a Dark Signer? What am I supposed to do?_

"_Carly!"_

_What was that voice? She looked up, but there was nobody else in the room._

"_If that is what you wish to know, then tell your fortune!" it said._

"_Tell my fortune?" she asked._

"_Yes, tell your fortune by the fate allotted to you!"_

_It couldn't hurt to have a look. Her cards had always bought her comfort, even if sometimes they didn't give her the best readings._

_Which card to pick, she thought, as she fanned them out. One of them seemed to glow with a bright light, so she picked it. It was Enlightenment. The card glowed brighter until the glow filled her vision._

_As the glow faded, she saw she was back in Neo Domino City. It was a brilliant sunny day. She was on the hunt for the latest scoop. Her boss had been so nice, never breathing down her neck. And there was Jack to pick her up and take her shopping. They spent all their time together. It was… perfection. In the back of her mind she could hear a small voice telling her this couldn't be real, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared._

"_This is your future, Carly. This is you and Jack's future. This is your task. You must bring Jack enlightenment!" the voice said._

_Enlightenment, she thought. It is our future together! I must help him understand that._

_Her eyes turned from white to black._

_She got up and walked to the open window. The air was tense. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. The Signers would be on their way soon. Jack would be his way soon._

_She returned to the meeting room and sat down._

"_I'll need a D-wheel," was all she said._

"_Already built," Kiryu replied with a grin._

_She smiled and sat back, knowing that soon Jack Atlas would be hers, forever…_

* * *

Carly awoke. She felt groggy and cold.

She struggled to understand her latest dream. It was definitely Misty she had seen, and she had addressed her as Carly. Only Misty was wearing the robes of a Dark Signer. She had recognised Kiryu as well. Had she become a Dark Signer? How? No, it was impossible. It had to be. She could never have fought Jack.

Looking around her, Carly found she was in a bed in a small room. The curtains were closed but she could see daylight shining around the edges. She sat up. How long had she been here?

The door opened quietly and in walked a woman. She was slightly older than her middle years, Carly thought, with long black hair and sharp eyes. Those eyes were observing her very seriously.

"Good, you're awake!" she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy. And cold," replied Carly. "Where am I?"

"This is my house," said the woman. "My name is Martha. Here I look after the orphans and homeless children of Satellite. What about you? What is your name?"

"I'm Carly," she replied. "What happened to me? How did I end up here?"

"One of my boys found you on the street and bought you in. You seem ok physically, but you were out of it for a while."

Out of it, Carly thought. Unconscious? Then she remembered. Those two men. Their duel. The chase through Satellite. Being trapped in that alleyway. She suddenly felt very dizzy and fell back on the pillow.

"Don't worry Carly, you are safe here," said Martha reassuringly.

She was safe. Carly felt herself relax. Then she realised. Martha! She had made it to Martha's house.

"Thank you for helping me, Martha," she said. "Is Yusei Fudo staying here?"

"Yusei?" replied Martha. "Yes he is. Do you know him?"

"Not really," said Carly. "We've only met once. I'm a reporter from Neo Domino City. I'm trying to write an article about the recent events affecting the city and Satellite."

Martha eyed her suspiciously. "Why did you come to Satellite? It can't have been easy to get here."

"I'm sure that the events have something to do with the Signers and the Crimson Dragon," Carly replied. "I don't have any memory of any earthquake or other disaster and haven't met anyone in the city who does. The only one who seemed to have any knowledge was Jack, and I have a feeling the other Signers have knowledge of it as well."

Carly clenched her fists at her sides as she continued. "Jack wasn't telling me the truth, I know it. I have to find the real truth, find out what really happened a few days ago."

Martha gave her a sympathetic look. "Well I'm sure when Yusei gets back he will be willing to help you."

"He's not here?" asked Carly.

"No. He and Crow are out looking for Jack. They were nearly out all night last night. Those boys…"

Carly's heart leapt. Jack was missing?

"Uhhhh…" she exclaimed as the dizziness returned.

"That's enough for now. I'm sure your article can wait until you are feeling better" said Martha with a smile.

Carly lay back on the pillow and was asleep the next moment.

* * *

Jack Atlas looked out over his kingdom as the sun began to rise.

He remembered when he used to come here. The old theatre had a throne on the stage from a play long past. Jack would sit there, pretending to be a king. King of a lonely kingdom, a ruined kingdom. The theatre had taken some damage during the Dark Signer conflict, but it was mostly intact. He still liked to come here from time to time and remember simpler, if more solemn times.

He'd tried to move on. She'd had no memory of what had happened to her and it tore him up. He couldn't bear to be around her. So he'd left her behind in the city and stayed in Satellite with his old friends, thinking she would be better off without him. She could live out her life and he could live out his, both of them at peace.

His new life had lasted three days.

Then she had turned up on his doorstep, obviously injured somehow.

Jack couldn't take it anymore. Seeing her had reopened old wounds he thought were starting to heal.

With a cry of anguish he slammed his fist down on the throne. Carly, he thought, why do you have to do this to me? Why can't you just let me be?

"There you are!"

Jack jumped and turned to the sound of the voice as a young boy walked into the theatre. His heart sank at the sight. After Carly, Rally Dawson was the person with whom he felt the guiltiest. Him and Yusei both, probably. After he had thrown Rally into the bay and taken Yusei's D-wheel and Stardust Dragon card so he could become the King of Neo Domino. A puppet king, a king dancing to the strings of Rex Godwin.

"Hello, Rally," he said.

"We've been looking for you all night," said Rally. "Yusei said you'd gone off somewhere and didn't tell anyone. We've been looking everywhere for you. What's got into you?"

Jack smiled. "I'm sorry to make you all worry. I'm pretty sure Yusei would have figured out where I was sooner or later. You certainly did."

Rally smiled in response. "This was always one of your regular hangout spots."

They were silent for a time.

"Do you believe in ghosts, Rally?" asked Jack suddenly.

"Ghosts?" he replied, puzzled.

"Some people believe that the spirits of the dead linger on in this life," Jack continued. "They are tied to their loved ones by such strong bonds that even death itself cannot break them."

"Uh, do you mean like what Yusei says about the bonds of friendship?"

"No, this is deeper. This is a spiritual and emotional connection with another, to the point where one who has died cannot accept life without the other. They become a ghost, destined to haunt their loved one until both of them can move on together."

Rally didn't say anything, but he looked at Jack as if he were acting odd. In a way he was. His outlook on life had changed a lot over the last few days.

"Will you be all right, Jack?" asked Rally. "You know you can talk to us about anything that's bothering you."

"I know, Rally. But some things are too painful to talk about."

Jack shifted on his throne. "Let Yusei know where I am. I'll see you guys again sometime. But first, I have to deal with a ghost."

Rally started to leave, before speaking over his shoulder.

"Don't forget us, Jack. You don't have to go through this alone, whatever it is."

And then Rally was gone.

Jack sat in silence as the sun rose.

* * *

End of Chapter Four


	5. Chapter 5 - Revelation

Chapter 5: Revelation

* * *

_Jack!_

_She crashed through the roof of the building below, striking the concrete floor with tremendous force. Her cards fluttered down on the breeze after her, landing on her limp form._

_She felt faint. There was a dull pain all over. She could feel herself slipping away._

_Then she felt something else. A surge of power._

_Great power._

_Her cards began to give off wisps of purplish energy._

_The power filled her to bursting. It was alien, but she felt better than she'd ever been in her life._

_Divine. He must pay. He will pay._

_She got up and gathered her cards. They were different now. It seemed right._

_The sky around her crackled with electricity. She felt the fiery geoglyph emerge around the Arcadia building._

_She returned to the entrance to the building. Revenge is mine, she thought. I will make him pay. I will offer his mangy soul as a sacrifice._

_And then Jack will be next._

* * *

Carly awoke. It was dark outside.

She was growing tired of these nightmares. If they were nightmares. She was no Dark Signer. She would never have fought Jack, could never have. Maybe she should let this matter go. Maybe she was obsessing too much over uncovering the truth that she was playing out scenarios in her dreams.

Carly sat up. She was still in the bed in Martha's house. A tray lay on a table beside the bed, on which was a plate containing food; plain fare, sliced meat and boiled vegetables in a whitish sauce, but it looked well cooked and presented. Beside it was a glass of milk. It was then that Carly realised that she was famished, and she eagerly took to the meal.

It was cold now. It must have been there a while. Martha must have put it there while I was out, Carly thought. Still, she set to eating and found it delicious. The sauce gave the meal a dash of heat, but not too much.

Carly put the now empty plate aside and finished off the glass of milk. How long have I been out now, she thought. Have I been here all day?

She felt refreshed and she felt like talking to somebody. She could see light under the bedroom door, so somebody was up.

Carly got up and headed for the door, picking up her glasses. It opened into a cosy kitchen and dining room. Sitting around a table talking quietly were Martha and a few others she didn't immediately recognise. Martha turned towards her.

"She's finally up and about," Martha said with a grin. "How are you feeling? Did you eat?"

"Yes, thank you. It was delicious," Carly replied. "I feel a little unsteady but otherwise I think I'm ok."

"You seem a lot better than you did last night," one of the others said. Carly recognised him now; it was Yusei Fudo! With him was a boy she didn't recognise, and a girl that she did. Aki Izayoi was here also.

"How long was I out?" Carly asked.

"All up, nearly a day," replied Yusei. "Crow here bought you in last night unconscious. Said he found you lying in the street not too far from here."

"That's right," the other boy said. He must be Crow, Carly thought. "It looked like you had a run in with Zippy and Theo. They're not the nicest of people."

Carly shuddered as she recalled the night. That duel, and those men chasing her.

"Do you know what happened?" she asked. "Last I remember was being trapped in that alleyway with those two, before waking up here."

"No. We were kinda hoping you might be able to tell us," replied Crow.

"Relax, Crow," said Aki. "She might be able to remember, in time."

"Of course, of course," said Crow, holding out his hands. "Not trying to get pushy. I'm just curious as to how that crater got there."

"What crater?" asked Carly, baffled.

"I found you at the bottom of a crater in the alleyway. It was nearly half a metre deep and full of water. I couldn't explain it."

Carly looked confused.

"That's enough I think," put in Martha. "She is still recovering. Questions can wait."

"No, it's ok, thank you," said Carly. "Actually I was hoping to ask Yusei a few questions. And Ms Izayoi too, if it's ok."

"A reporter to the very end," said Martha, shaking her head, but she was smiling.

"I might be able to give you some answers," said Yusei slowly. "If you might answer a question or two of mine."

"Of course," replied Carly.

"Good," said Yusei. "First off, you were there when I fought that Dark Signer, right? Grady, I think you said his name was?"

"T-that's right," replied Carly. She gulped. Yusei had a good memory.

"Secondly, why are you here? You're from the city, so getting here must have been a challenge. What are you here for?"

"Well it's about the disaster which affected the city a few days ago," she replied. "Nobody has any recollection of what happened. I'm here to find out why. My reporter hunches are very good, and I have a hunch that it has something to do with the Signers. I saw the duels you had against the Dark Signers, Yusei. They had something to do with it, I just know it."

Carly cleared her throat before continuing. "So I came here to get answers. Out of all the Signers, the only one I had any idea of where to find was you. The others, Ruka, Aki, Jack and whoever the fifth one is, I didn't know. All I knew was you had lived in Satellite for most of your life. So I came here."

Yusei's face seemed too calm. "I see. That makes sense I suppose, though it was a risky decision. How did you get here though? They've only started construction on the bridge recently."

Carly didn't answer, as something had just occurred to her.

"Where is Jack?" she asked. "Martha said that you had gone out looking for him. Did you find him?"

Yusei looked grim. "Yes. A friend of ours had found him in an old hiding spot of his. He's not in any danger. But he's been getting more like this every day."

"More like what?" asked Carly.

"Jack's always been testy," supplied Crow. "But the last few days he's been worse than ever. He'd disappear for hours at a time, sometimes. He'd always looked preoccupied by something, even when he was helping us at the house here."

"Something's changed in him," finished Yusei. "And he doesn't want to talk about it."

Carly's heart sank. What had happened to Jack?

"Please continue, if you would," prompted Yusei. "How did you get to Satellite?"

"I managed to convince Ushio and Mikage at Sector Security – I had run into them before – to let me hitch a ride on a helicopter". Carly explained how they had been reluctant for her to go, and how she had been given a duel disk and dropped off by the pilot.

"That fool Ushio!" said Martha with disgust. "Sending a lone girl into the slums of Satellite at night with nothing but a duel disk. You're lucky you weren't killed!"

Carly tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't hide her frown. I suppose it was a bit stupid, wasn't it, she thought. When would she start thinking with her head for once?

"Well you're here now, I guess," said Yusei. "So I'm willing to tell you about what happened. What is the last thing you remember?"

Carly thought about it for a second.

"Probably the riding duel you had against Kiryu—"

"Wait, you were there for that?" asked Yusei, his composure breaking.

"Yes. I was in the helicopter with Jack."

"Right. Ok, so that's the last you remember?"

"Not quite," replied Carly. "The last thing is I was getting ready to infiltrate the Arcadia Movement—"

"What?" asked Aki, shocked. "Why would you be thinking of doing that?"

"Actually, to talk to you, Ms Izayoi," said Carly. "I wanted to find out more about the Signers, and at the time you were only one I knew where to find."

"I see," replied Aki in a quiet voice. "That was a dangerous course of action. You could have been injured, or worse."

"I didn't end up going, in the end," Carly continued. "I don't remember going. I only remember waking up the next morning. Jack was there, briefly, and then he left again. That's all I remember."

"How long ago did this happen?" Yusei asked.

Carly worked it out in her head. "About four days ago?"

Yusei and Crow shared a look with Aki and Martha. Carly was confused. Something about that timeframe had got them thinking.

"You don't think…" began Crow.

"It fits," supplied Aki.

Carly looked from face to face. "What fits?" she asked.

Yusei shared another look with the others before he turned to her, taking a breath.

"You're familiar with the fiery barrier the Dark Signers used in their duels, right?" he began. "Well it wasn't just Satellite that was affected…"

* * *

Yusei observed Carly as he told the story of the fight against the Dark Signers that fateful night. Her reactions were odd, though. She claimed to have no memory of what had happened that night, and yet some things she understood or accepted too easily. An outsider might look at that night and say it was impossible, that there was no such thing as Earthbound gods, or that the black fog which had swallowed up the people of Satellite had just been fog off the bay.

But Carly didn't bat an eyelid at it. She didn't react at the black fog. She seemed to know about the old Ener-D reactor in the heart of the B.A.D, where the majority of the fighting took place, even though she claimed to have never been to Satellite. She accepted at face value the terrible shadow duels they had conducted against Rudger Godwin and the Dark Signers.

She knows more than she is letting on, he thought. She knows things I wouldn't expect her to. Either she has nerves of steel, or there's more to her than she's revealing.

"Are you ok, Mr Fudo?" asked Carly.

"Yes," he replied, bringing his attention back to the present. "And Yusei is fine. I was just thinking about that night. It was hard for all of us."

"I can imagine," she replied. "It's quite a story. Shadow riding duels. Earthbound gods reviving after five thousand years. The King of the Underworld emerging from the reactor. Rex Godwin, one of the Dark Signers – that explains why he's been listed missing in the city now, at least – and formerly the creator of the Daedalus bridge legend. A man of Satellite becoming head of public security! That's quite the scoop."

Carly took a breath and continued.

"And the fight against Misty and the revelation about her brother. Poor Misty! She always seemed like such a nice person. It's a sad story, all right. I can see why it's not something you would want to spread around."

Yusei was curious at this statement. "How do you mean?" he asked. "Sure, it's a story that's hard to believe, but we've never tried to hide it from anyone."

Carly was surprised at his question. "Jack had told me it was an earthquake," she said cautiously. "About how the Arcadia building had taken the most damage in the city. At the time it seemed plausible, but nobody in the city could back it up."

Carly looked sad. "Jack didn't tell me the truth about what happened. That must be it. Why would he hide it from me?"

Yusei and others couldn't answer that for her. Jack hadn't been very forthcoming about what had happened after the battle. He had left with Ushio and Mikage to return to the city, saying he needed to see somebody, but he had returned that same day and didn't breathe a word about what he'd been doing.

Jack, Yusei thought, what has happened to you?

"It's getting late," said Martha. "Best if we all get a good night's sleep I think."

"Sounds good to me," agreed Crow.

* * *

They all headed to bed. Carly lay there thinking about she had heard. It matches the dreams, she thought. It matches them too well. Were they really dreams?

And what had got into Jack? Why would he not tell her what had happened? Or his friends?

It was some time before she could sleep.

* * *

End of Chapter Five


	6. Chapter 6 - Painful Memories

A/N: I wasn't completely happy with how this chapter turned out. I've been trying to avoid directly quoting from episodes where possible and only exploit the off-camera gaps in the story, but I needed more of episode 59 than I expected as the background for this chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 6: Painful Memories

* * *

_Those glasses. They seemed familiar…_

_"You must remember!" cried Jack._

_There was that voice again, as well. Telling her this future is wrong._

_No, it can't be wrong. Our fate was to rule the world, just the two of us. That is my desire. That is our fate._

_"You're wrong!" Jack insisted._

_The voice told her that too. It was stronger now, more intrusive on her thoughts._

_She recalled a conversation from her old life. Now it's time for the real Jack Atlas to live, she had said to him. That was before she had seen their fate._

_And there was his trap card. She could inflict the damage to end this duel. He had left the choice up to her. He had surrendered to fate after all. But why?_

_"It's to teach you that there's no such thing as an 'appointed fate'" Jack replied._

_The fool. He would be hers. This duel was over._

_"I will take the effect to inflict damage on—"_

_NO, the voice said. It was so strong now. She felt her control slipping. She gazed into Jack's eyes. They were so trusting. So confident. He truly believed in her._

_"I.."_

_NO._

_Images of Jack flashed before her eyes. Finding him in the hospital._

_"I.."_

_NO!_

_Helping him in that duel._

_"I.."_

_NO!_

_The time they spent together. Him finding out she was a Dark Signer._

_Her control broke._

_But it felt right. Like waking up from a dream. A dream of hell._

_"I will take the effect to regain my life points."_

_Green energy washed over her as her life points went up._

_Jack was there. She felt a surge of relief. Everything was going to be alright. She could end this duel now. He wouldn't have to suffer any more._

_Pain spiked through her arm, purple energy surging out of the birthmark. She felt the voice of the underworld in her head._

_"What you desire matters not! This battle is your fate appointed as a Dark Signer!"_

_She felt the energy taking over her body. She heard herself scream in pain._

_"Carly, continue with the duel and dispatch of that Signer!"_

_Her resistance was not enough._

* * *

Carly tossed and turned in the bed, mumbling.

* * *

_She was floating above herself. Above the duel. There was Jack, too. He looked horrified._

_No. Jack._

_She could see her eyes glowing with purple energy. She was not in control of her body. It was continuing the duel._

_Oh, Jack. You must keep fighting, for my sake!_

_Fortune Lady Earth had damaged Jack's life points again, but he came back fighting by synchro summoning Red Dragon Archfiend. It destroyed Fortune Lady Earth._

_Come on, Jack, she thought. You must win this!_

_"Carly, open your eyes, please!" he cried._

_Oh no. The power of the underworld was summoning the Earthbound god Aslla Piscu. Was Jack doomed? She could do nothing._

_Wait, his Battle Fader's effect had saved him. But that only lasted a round. Come on, Jack!_

_"Carly! Listen to me!" Jack cried. "I was once a person who would never give a thought to others. I was a man willing enough to betray and hurt my friends, sacrificing any and all for my own ambitions! But, I learnt something from you! That even a bruised and troubled heart can be saved by a truly considerate heart!"_

_She watched. She had to help him somehow._

_"Right now, I'm wishing with all my heart!" he continued. "I want to save a person I truly love – you!"_

_She had to get through to him. Help him. He loved her. And she would help him. She wouldn't let him fight this alone any longer._

_"Jack!" she cried. He didn't respond._

_His D-wheel began to glow. The full Crimson Dragon birthmark appeared on his back. What was happening?_

_She tried harder._

_"Jack! Jack!"_

_He looked up._

_"Jack! Jack!"_

_Everything went white. Jack was there._

_"Jack!"_

_"Carly!"_

_"Jack, please end this," she thought._

_"What did you say?" he replied, looking around for her._

_"I don't want any more people getting hurt because of me."_

_"Don't be ridiculous! There must be some other way!"_

_"If you truly care for me…"_

_"But, if I do that, then you'll be…"_

_"This is the fate I chose myself," she replied. "You were truly considerate of me. So, please, use your hands to finish this."_

_Jack shoulders' slumped in resignation._

_"I understand."_

_They appeared back on the tower in the city. It was sunset. They looked at each other._

_"If that is what you sincerely desire, that is just what I shall do," said Jack._

_"Thank you, Jack!" Carly replied._

_They were back at the duel. Jack was synchro summoning Majestic Red Dragon. It stopped Aslla Piscu in its tracks. He was going to win!_

_"I will finish you in one blow, just as you wish!" he said._

_But he hesitated. She saw he had a face down card. He didn't need it to win the duel. He just needed to attack. What was his face down card?_

_She had a feeling it would end the duel in a tie. He was willing to give up victory to save her._

_But she couldn't let him do it. Not yet. He still had to go on and defeat the other Dark Signers. His destiny wasn't finished yet. I have to stop him._

_"This is the fate Jack Atlas chose himself!" said Jack. "Should I perish with you, I would have no regrets!"_

_She fought with all her might against the malign power controlling her body. The strain was terrible, but she felt herself descending, returning…_

_It worked! She was in control of herself, for now. She had to act fast. Before it overpowered her again._

_"Here goes!" cried Jack. "Trap activate—"_

_She cut him off. "Trap activate! Earthbound Release!"_

_Jack stopped in disbelief. "Wh-what?"_

_In her mind, she was back on the tower. She heard Jack's faint voice in the distance._

_"Don't tell me that you, voluntarily…"_

_"I'll read your fortune one last time!" she thought to him. "Read what your true fate is!"_

_She drew a card._

_The trap activated, destroying Aslla Piscu. She felt Majestic Red Dragon's attack coming back at her._

_"What I truly desire is that you become a real King, who is loved by all and gives happiness to everyone," she said. "I know that you can do it, Jack Atlas!"_

_She sent a picture of the card she had drawn to him. It was his victory, showing him celebrating with the children of Satellite. The cards sprang out of her hands of their own free will, flying in all directions. All of them showed the same thing. Jack's victory._

_"CARLY!" Jack yelled._

_The underworld being screamed as it was exorcised from her body._

* * *

"Jack you did it," Carly continued to mumble.

* * *

_"Carly! Carly!"_

_Jack was shaking her. She felt weak._

_"Carly! Just hold on! Don't die on me!"_

_But she knew she was dying. Her time was up._

_"Jack, where are you?" she asked._

_"Here! I'm right here!"_

_"How strange. I can't see anything."_

_"You have to hang on! Look at me!"_

_He put her glasses on her. That was better. She could see him now._

_"I loved cheering on people who tried their hardest, like you Jack" she confessed. "Despite that, because I tried to wish for such selfish happiness, I must have been wrong for doing so, huh?"_

_"That's nonsense! Everyone has the right to wish for happiness! If you're saying that's a crime, then I'm just as guilty!"_

_She smiled at him._

_"Jack, I know you'll save the world, right? I'll be cheering you on after all!"_

_She hugged him. She knew she didn't have long left._

_"I love you, Jack."_

_And then she was gone._

* * *

Carly opened the door to the bedroom as quietly as possible. She didn't want to wake any of the others. They had done so much for her already.

She opened the garage. The red D-wheel must be Yusei's. That's the one he used in the Fortune Cup. She would apologise to him later, but right now, she needed to borrow it.

Carly started up the D-wheel and sped out into the night. She didn't know Jack's hiding spots, but she did know his D-wheel. It was only a matter of time before she found him.

How could he do that to her, she thought as she sped through Satellite. She would have answers from him, one way or another.

There. It was his D-wheel all right. Outside what looked like an old theatre. She pulled up outside.

Jack, she thought, I will get my answers from you tonight, as she stalked into the building.

* * *

Jack sat quietly on his throne.

Yusei and the others will be worried if I don't return soon, he thought. He didn't mean to worry them. But he couldn't deal with her again. He couldn't go back while she was there. Especially now. She had come here and been injured, almost killed. He had failed to protect her again. There was no way Jack could face her now.

He heard someone approaching. Was it Yusei? He thought he had heard a D-wheel outside earlier.

The light of the moon lit up the stage he was sitting on as the intruder into his thoughts emerged.

Oh no, he thought. Not her. Not now.

"Carly—"he began.

Her full-armed slap knocked him out of his chair.

"How could you do that to me!" she screamed at him. "How could you!"

Jack was stunned by the ferocity in this woman's voice.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked, getting up. Her second slap knocked him back down.

"You left me there. You left me! As if nothing had happened! You lied about what had happened to me! To us! Why, Jack! How could you be so cruel! So heartless! Why! WHY!"

Jack got up. He blocked the third slap.

"Explain yourself," he said, more calmly than he felt. "What do you mean?"

It just seemed to make her angrier.

"I remember it all, Jack! All of it! Everything! I died, crying your name! I fought you, deceived by a fate forced upon us by another!"

Jack felt his heart sink.

"I fought my hardest to help you, only for you to try to sacrifice yourself for my sake!" she continued. "I died in your arms, whispering your name, wishing with all my heart you could reach your destiny! I remember it all! And you cast me aside for it!"

Jack didn't know what to say. He had wished this not to happen. He had feared it would. Now it had.

"You deceived me with lies about that night! You abandoned me as if I had done you wrong! As if I was some sort of monster!"

She collapsed against his chest, beating it with her fists, tears flowing freely.

"Why, Jack! Why! I loved you! How could you do that to me!"

Jack took a deep breath and composed his thoughts.

"Because it hurt, Carly. It hurt like hell, damn it!"

He felt his anger rising with every word.

"I thought I had lost you to the Earthbound gods. I thought you had been sacrificed when they attacked the city. I thought that if I could defeat the Dark Signers I could bring you back! And then I find that you were ONE OF THEM!"

Jack felt his heart unleash all the anger and frustration, all the anguish, from the last few days of his life.

"I was forced to fight what you had become! Knowing what it would cost me to win, and what it would cost me to lose! I helped break the spell they had over you! I would have given anything to end that duel in a tie! And you cost me that! I had to watch you die, Carly! I had to watch someone I love die, someone who didn't deserve to die, someone who deserved life! Have you any idea how painful that is, Carly?"

Jack paused for breath before continuing.

"And then I rushed to find you after we defeated them, to see that you were alright again, only to find that you didn't remember any of it! I couldn't believe I had gone through so much for you, with nothing to show for it! That's when I thought I could never see you again. I had to leave you behind. You were a ghost, haunting me for my failures. Failures I could never make up to you, Carly."

Tears flowed down his own face, now.

"I thought you deserved to live your life, fly with it where you wanted to fly, rather than have me drag you down. I couldn't bear the thought of you suffering any longer. But more than that, I couldn't deal with the memories. Especially when you couldn't remember anything that had happened. It pained me so! That is why, Carly. That is why I left you and came here. That is why I let you go. Why I ran away. Like a coward. The King, a coward. That's me, the cowardly King. Or rather, I tried to run. But I can't. The memories won't fade, won't stop hurting. I can't deal with you being gone from my life."

He trailed off. Carly sobbed against his chest. He awkwardly patted her hair. She threw her arms around him. He hesitated, but embraced her, too.

"Oh, Jack," she said. "Hold me now. Hold me now and never let go. Just like that time. Never let me go."

"Never, Carly."

Jack still held her tight as the first rays of sun rose over the horizon.

* * *

End of Chapter Six


	7. Chapter 7 - Discussion

Chapter 7: Discussion

* * *

"I can't believe she would do such a thing!" raged Martha. "She's far too headstrong, that girl. It'll get her into trouble!"

"Relax, Martha" said Yusei calmly, more calmly than he felt inside. "Her stuff is still here. Her pack, her duel disk, her camera. She wouldn't have forgotten them. She'll be back."

"I don't see why you're so calm, Yusei" she replied. "She took your D-wheel!"

"She must have had a good reason. I trust her."

Though I'll have a few questions for her when she gets back, he thought.

Martha shook her head and continued with the morning chores.

Yusei hoped his trust in Carly was not misplaced. She was certainly headstrong and seemed to attract trouble like a magnet. She might well be out on his D-wheel in pursuit of a story.

Aki emerged from her bedroom.

"Morning, Yusei" she said. "What's all the noise? Has something happened?"

Yusei was sure he looked as grim as he felt at the question.

"Carly disappeared sometime during the night" supplied Crow, just coming in the door. "She took Yusei's D-wheel."

Aki gaped at hearing the news. "But… why?"

"We don't know" put in Martha. "Fool girl she is!"

"Let's relax" said Yusei. "I have a feeling she will be back soon. I can't explain it, but I think she will be back this morning."

* * *

The morning sun bathed the theatre stage in bright sunlight. Carly stirred. She didn't remember getting much sleep.

"Morning, sleepyhead" she heard. Jack's voice.

Then she remembered. Coming here, confronting Jack.

Jack was sitting on his throne again. He still held her. She snuggled into him.

"Good morning" she replied sleepily.

They were silent for a while, content in each other's embrace.

"You know" began Jack. "We can't stay here forever."

"Yes we can" insisted Carly.

Jack smiled. "I'd love that. But Yusei will be wanting his D-wheel back."

She started. Oh no! She'd taken Yusei's D-wheel. How could she have done that! She leapt to her feet to leave.

"Easy, Carly" said Jack, also standing up. "It'll be alright."

They held each other one last time, looking out at the sunrise, before they left the stage.

* * *

Yusei was working on his duel computer. Lucky I hadn't reinstalled it yet, he thought. Or it would on the D-wheel. His D-wheel.

He looked out at the sun, still low in the morning sky. Carly, he thought, I hope you're ok out there.

As if answering his thoughts, he heard a D-wheel approaching. Two of them.

Yusei spied them as they got closer to the house. He grinned. It was Carly, on Yusei's D-wheel. And Jack was with her, on his own D-wheel. He went out to meet them.

"Good morning. Have a nice ride?" he asked.

Carly took off her helmet. Yusei's helmet. She had the grace to blush.

"I-I'm sorry Yusei. I'm so sorry! But I had to see Jack."

"It's ok" said Yusei. "I'm just glad you bought it back in one piece."

"She bought back more than that" laughed Jack, taking off his own helmet.

Jack was laughing, Yusei realised. He hadn't laughed in days. Yusei wondered what had happened between them.

"Come inside, I'll prepare some tea. You can tell us everything" he finished with a grin.

* * *

Inside, they were speechless. Carly couldn't blame them.

She and Jack had given them the whole story. How she had infiltrated the Arcadia Movement and been smashed through the high window by Divine to fall to her death. How she had returned for her revenge – Aki had shuddered as she recalled that night. How she and Jack had fought at the hummingbird tower.

Carly would struggle to believe it herself if she hadn't experienced it all first-hand.

"So you were the Dark Signer that Jack had a connection to" concluded Aki. "We were wondering who he had fought, but we had no idea."

Carly nodded. She could remember everything that had happened now, though it only made her feel worse. She had done some terrible things as a Dark Signer. Granted, she was not exactly in her right mind at the time, and a lot of the damage had been undone after the defeat of the King of the Underworld. But she still felt the guilt of sacrificing people to the Earthbound gods, of the torment she had inflicted on Jack.

Jack had sensed her sullen mood. "Carly, it's ok" he said. "That wasn't your doing. It's not your fault."

"That's right" added Aki. "You cannot blame yourself for what the Earthbound gods did."

Carly tried to put on a smile.

"I know. But I think it will take time to make myself believe that."

"Carly, do you remember what I was telling you about yesterday?" asked Yusei. "My parents pioneered Momentum and the Ener-D reactor. It was that same reactor which went into Zero Reverse and split Satellite off from the city. So many people died in that event, including Jack and Crow's parents. I deal with the guilt of being associated with that, even though I wasn't directly responsible for it."

He continued. "I don't know if I will ever accept it wasn't my fault, but I do know that the pain does fade with time. That's what you need to give yourself, Carly. Time."

Carly nodded, feeling better. It was easy to forget she was not the only one affected by the conflict. She tried to focus on what she still had left to do from here.

"Well, I came here to get a complete and honest account of what happened, and I guess that I pretty much have that now. And more, now that I remember everything. I would be interested to know what's happened in Satellite the last few days, though, since the battle."

"Mostly it's stories of people making the best of what they have here" replied Martha. "It's not much and it's never easy, but the people of Satellite will keep on going. We will rebuild and recover from this. And when the Daedalus Bridge is completed, we'll be ready to show the city what we're made of!"

"If they are willing to take notice" said Carly. "The people of the city are not happy at the building of the bridge. They still look down on the people here. Old attitudes can take time to change."

"That is just something we will have to deal with" said Martha earnestly. "They'll find we're not pushovers soon enough."

Carly smiled. She liked this woman's spirit and belief in her community.

"And that's something I will highlight in my article; stories from Satellite. Stories of very talented and hard-working people trying to make ends meet out here. I've always wanted to write about people like that in the city, but I don't think I would have written about it had I not met you all."

"Us too!" said Rua and Ruka in unison. The twins had joined them earlier, keen on hearing the story they had missed out on. "Our lives have changed a great deal since we met Yusei!"

Yusei smiled and agreed. "I think it would have been very different for all of us if we had we never met. Rua and Ruka, Aki, Carly. Very different."

They felt silent, reflecting on the events that had bought them all together.

"I need to go and pick up some groceries" said Martha. "Rua, Ruka, would you like to come with me?"

"Sure" the twins agreed.

Martha and the twins bade the rest of them farewell and headed out on their shopping run. The rest of them remained sitting around the table.

"There is still one matter I would like to clear up, if we can" began Crow, as he cleared his throat. "What happened in that alleyway the night before last?"

Carly frowned. It was the one event she still had trouble remembering.

"I don't know. They had me trapped in the alleyway after our duel. I was afraid for my life. I felt something surge inside me, like a raging torrent. I don't know what it was. Next I remember is waking up here."

"You were in a duel just before that, you said. Do you remember anything strange happening during the duel?" asked Jack.

"No" replied Carly. "Though I was in a hurry to get away from them."

"It sounds so familiar" said Aki, half to herself. "I wonder…"

She gasped.

"You had just had a duel?" Aki asked. "And you were afraid for your life afterwards?"

"Yes" replied Carly. "I thought they were going to kill me. All I could think about was what I was losing. My life. My chance at a reporting career. And Jack" she added, looking at him.

Jack smiled at that, but Aki seemed to be preoccupied.

"The duel. That powerful emotion. Could it be…"

"What is it, Aki?" asked Yusei.

"Yusei, I can use my powers to manifest my cards as real effects. Real damage, real monsters, and so on. Divine could do the same thing. Manifest his cards as real effects."

Yusei looked shocked, but Carly was confused. What were they talking about?

Crow looked nearly as shaken as Yusei.

"There was a card next to Carly in the crater" he said slowly.

"What card was it?" asked Yusei. There was apprehension in his voice too.

"Torrential Tribute" replied Crow.

"You don't think…" Yusei began to ask Aki in a quiet voice.

"It's exactly as I remember it happening to me, when I was young" replied Aki softly.

Carly was still confused. She looked at Jack. Initially he looked just as confused as she was, but horror spread over his face as he came to realise what Aki had meant.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand" she asked Aki. "What do you mean?"

Aki turned to her.

"Carly, I think you might have been indirectly responsible for what happened that night. I think you might have psychic power in you somewhere. When you were in danger it manifested the card and saved your life."

Carly didn't say anything. Psychic? Wait, like a psychic duellist?

"That sounds impossible!" she blurted.

"I know" replied Aki in a sympathetic voice. "But it fits. Psychic power is tied to powerful emotions."

Carly thought about the idea. She remembered her duel with Divine, how psychic duelling had real effects. Was that really it? Was that the reason?

"Stop this!" roared Jack at Aki suddenly, standing. "Can't you see it's upsetting her!"

Aki bristled at the remark. "And you have a better explanation of what happened? I have a lot more experience in this area that you do, Jack Atlas" she said in a dreadfully calm voice.

Even Jack hesitated at that voice. He sat back down.

"I'm sure of it, Carly" Aki continued. "The more I think about it, the more it all seems to fit."

"Wh-what does this mean?" asked Jack.

Carly thought about the implications if Aki was right. If she herself had a similar power, what would happen? Would she hurt those around her?

"What it means is, I need to test my theory, to see if I'm on the right track" replied Aki. "Carly, I would like to duel you, if you would accept. I would like to see if you have the psychic potential I believe you might have."

Carly wasn't sure what to say.

"How can you be sure you're correct about this?" she asked. "I've duelled before and never had anything like this happen!"

"I'm not sure I'm correct" admitted Aki. "I'm basing my theory on a hunch. I had similar experiences in my youth, where a surge of emotion could hurt somebody or cause damage of some sort. I can't think of anything else which would have that sort of effect except psychic power."

Carly thought for a moment. Would it hurt too much to indulge Aki in her theory? What if she did have the potential? Would it drive her mad? Would it separate her from Jack? Would people regard her as a monster?

Once again, Jack seemed to sense her mood. "Carly, don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. If Aki can prove that she is correct, it might solve what happened in that alleyway."

Carly trusted in Jack. She would trust her very soul to him if she had to.

"Alright, I'll give it a try" she said. "But I'm worried. What if I hurt you? Or if you hurt me?"

"I won't hurt you, Carly" said Aki reassuringly. "Since the Dark Signers battle, I'm now in full control of my powers. And I won't mind if I get hurt doing this. I want to see if I'm right. And in a way, I suppose it's a little bit of recompense for the suffering I've caused in my life."

Yusei looked concerned. "Are you sure about this, Aki? Promise me you'll be careful."

"I will be ok, Yusei, I promise" said Aki. She looked at Carly.

"Let's head outside. We'll need space to duel."

Carly followed her out, putting on her duel disk. She couldn't hide the dread at what possibly awaited her.

* * *

Jack was uneasy.

He had only heard about these psychic duellists of the Arcadia Movement after the events of the Fortune Cup, where Yusei had duelled Aki and managed to break through to the person she really was. They had duelled again after the destruction of the Arcadia building; Yusei had gotten through to her then as well. In a way it was similar to how he had gotten through to Carly during their dark riding duel.

Jack had also learnt about Aki's past in the process. The years of persecution by people who regarded her as a monster because of her powers. Her tragic upbringing had led to her believing in hate and inflicting revenge on people when she had the chance. She had known little else but pain for all those years. That had changed after she had duelled Yusei.

But Carly was different. Carly had been fairly normal, as far as he knew. Until recently, anyway. What would happen to her if Izayoi was right? Would Carly be treated as a monster? Would the mental trauma push her over the edge?

This duel was something he had to observe. He had to be there to support Carly. He had to make sure she would not think herself a monster again.

Jack followed them out the door.

* * *

End of Chapter Seven


	8. Chapter 8 - The Testing

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to upload this chapter, studies have been keeping me busy, but here it is finally!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Testing

* * *

Aki Izayoi wondered if this was too risky. But she couldn't back down now.

She faced Carly in an empty lot not far from Martha's house. Both of them had their duel disks set and ready to start, but Carly looked concerned.

"It's ok, Carly," assured Aki. "It'll just be a friendly duel, to see if there's any psychic potential which might come out. Relax and enjoy yourself!"

"O-ok," replied Carly, looking over at Jack.

She looked a little happier. Aki was glad Jack was there, as Carly was obviously more relaxed around him. She could see how close the two of them were; it was more understandable now that she knew their tragic story. Aki smiled at how Jack had changed in the short time she had known him, all because of the woman standing in front of her.

She wondered again if this was worth the risk. Aki had not been honest when she said she was in full control of her powers. She knew psychic power was linked to emotion, and her powers had been at their strongest during her time as the Black Rose Witch, driven by her powerful hate and anger. Since the Fortune Cup and the battle against the Dark Signers, from the time she had spent with Yusei and the others, those dark emotions were leaving her, but her powers had suffered as a result. Aki knew that for her psychic ability to return to its full strength, she needed those powerful emotions back. But she wanted better ones now; not anger and hate, but love and friendship.

Yusei was also observing the duel. He was frowning at her. Aki knew how perceptive he could be. Is he worried about this duel as I am, she thought.

"A-are you ok, Ms Izayoi?" asked Carly. "Are you ready?"

Aki smiled at Carly. "Please, call me Aki. And yes, I am ready."

They activated their duel disks. The duel was on.

* * *

"You may go first, if you wish Carly," said Aki.

"T-thanks," she replied.

Carly wasn't sure what to expect from this duel. Her only experience of psychic duelling had been with Divine, and THAT sure didn't go well. She believed Aki when she said it would be ok, but she was still apprehensive about this.

Oh well, she thought, let's give it a go. At least Jack was there if something went wrong.

She examined her starting hand. Since she was a bit more experienced with her deck now, and could recall her duels with it from when she was a Dark Signer, she could see it was a nice draw. Four monsters, including three fortune ladies, and Magical Dimension, with which she could easily summon a high level spellcaster. And she had just drawn Card Ejector. But Carly wondered what Aki had in store. She decided it play it slow for now.

"I summon Fortune Lady Light in defence position," she said, placing the card on her duel disk. The yellow-clad spellcaster emerged, crouching into a defensive posture.

"Fortune Lady Light's attack and defence are determined by her level times two hundred," Carly continued. "Since she's level one, she starts at two hundred, and she goes up one level at each of my standby phases. I'll end my turn at that."

"Very well, my go then," replied Aki. "I set a monster in defense position and end my turn."

A cautious start from both of us, thought Carly. She wondered what the set monster was. Aki had no other set cards out, so if she could bring out a second spellcaster and destroy Aki's monster she could get a life point lead. Although it might have a nasty effect if she did attack it.

"My turn. I draw."

She had drawn Solidarity, a nice card which complemented her spellcasters. But she couldn't use it yet, as she needed at least one spellcaster in her graveyard. Well, so far so good, she thought. Maybe it was time to go on the offensive.

"Now, Fortune Lady Light's effect activates," said Carly. "Her level increases by one, giving her an extra two hundred attack and defence points. Then I'm going to switch her into attack position, and summon Ebon Magician Curran to the field, also in attack position."

The spellcaster appeared on the field as the fortune lady prepared for her own attack.

"Ebon Magician Curran, attack her set monster."

The magician's energy attack struck the monster, revealing it as a plant creature of some sort, before destroying it.

"Next, Fortune Lady Light will attack directly!"

The fortune lady fired a burst of light from her wand at Aki, dealing four hundred damage to her life points.

"With that, I end my turn!" finished Carly. She was already feeling more confident. Maybe this duel wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Aki thought she could sense something from Carly, but she didn't have a good idea of what she was looking for. Divine had been the expert on finding people with psychic potential.

She felt a pang of sadness at his fate, hauled away by Sector Security after the Dark Signers battle for the crimes he had committed. Even though he had used her and manipulated her, she still felt something for him.

So far, nothing, Aki thought. I'm going to have to push a bit. It's time to take this to the next level.

She held Divine in her thoughts as she started her turn.

* * *

"It's my turn. I draw," said Aki. Carly wondered what she had planned.

"First I summon Phoenixian Seed in attack position."

The plant appeared on Aki's side of the field. A large eye in the middle of the plant opened, staring at Carly. That looks kind of freaky, she thought.

"Next I active Phoenixian Seed's effect," Aki continued. "By sending it to the Graveyard, I can summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from my hand. Come forth!"

The seed was replaced with a very unusual looking plant, an intricate blaze of red and yellow leaves. Carly thought it looked kind of pretty. Then she saw its attack strength. Twenty two hundred? This wasn't good.

"Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, attack her Ebon Magician Curran!"

The plant surged with red energy, firing it out towards Carly's spellcaster, destroying it. The energy continued into Carly, damaging her life points. She had lost a thousand out of her total of four thousand from the attack, but that was not what bothered her at the moment.

"Ow! That stings!" she complained. The plant had done real damage to her, and it stung, like burning her tongue on hot coffee. Or was this psychic feedback, like she had experienced before?

Yusei and Jack looked concerned.

"Aki, I don't think this is a good idea…" began Yusei.

Carly looked over at Aki. She looked determined. Determined to do what?

"I now activate Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis's effect. When it attacks a monster, it is destroyed after damage is calculated, and when it is destroyed and sent to the graveyard you take eight hundred damage."

The plant glowed until it was incandescent before firing its energy at Carly, striking her on the arm. It felt like an electric shock. She yelped at the pain.

"Stop this now!" shouted Jack. He'd had enough. So had Carly.

"Jack is right, Aki. We have to stop this now," added Yusei.

Aki simply looked at Carly.

"Do you trust me, Carly?" she said simply.

Carly wasn't sure. This duel wasn't turning out like she had expected. Aki noticed her hesitation.

"It's ok. What you are feeling is minor psychic feedback. It's not dangerous and it's not life threatening. I'm trying to push you. Get you to invest in the duel, to bring out the emotion."

"But you just said before it was a friendly duel!" shot back Carly.

"There's definitely power in you, Carly," Aki replied sadly. "I can sense it. But it's buried deep within, probably to only emerge during a burst of strong emotion. We need to get serious here. It is the only way we can truly test your ability."

Carly was shaking her head. This was too much.

Aki gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry Carly. This is more than you were expecting. We can stop if you wish."

She could stop. It would be ok.

Then she looked at Jack. He looked concerned. Carly remembered how strong he had been when she was a Dark Signer, how strong he had needed to be to defeat her. She wanted to be strong too, like him. If she really did have some sort of power in her, could she ignore it? Pretend it wasn't there, only for it to emerge at the wrong time and possibly harm people? Could it harm Jack?

She idly thought her reporter rival Angela would never have to make a decision like this. Carly found it quite amusing all of a sudden.

"Carly, are you ok?" asked Jack. "What's funny?"

Carly smiled. "I was just thinking how strange life can be. I always wanted to be a reporter, to spread the news and talk about those that didn't get to be in the spotlight. And here I am, with the current and former riding Kings of Neo Domino City, facing a psychic duellist!"

Her face grew serious as she continued. "Well if you really believe I have this power, Aki, then I have to be able to control it. For my sake, for everyone's sake. Let's continue."

Aki smiled her encouragement. Jack looked worried, but said nothing. Yusei was still frowning at Aki. Does he know something I don't, Carly wondered.

"I will finish my turn by activating Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis's last effect. By removing the Phoenixian Seed in my graveyard from play, I can Special Summon my Amaryllis to the field in defence position," said Aki. "That ends my turn."

"It's my turn then. I draw."

She had drawn Fortune Lady Fire. A weaker monster, though with a nice effect if she could use it correctly.

Now, Aki's Amaryllis plant was on the field, in defence position. It had zero defence points, so if she could destroy it, she could attack directly. Carly was behind on life points, twenty two hundred to thirty six hundred, so she could close the gap on Aki with this attack. But destroying the plant would deal more damage to her as well.

Carly had a plan though. She would stop that plant from coming back from the graveyard, this time.

"First my Fortune Lady Light increases by one more level. She's now level three, raising her attack and defence points by another two hundred. Next I shall summon Card Ejector, in attack position."

The spellcaster appeared on the field, next to her fortune lady.

"Card Ejector, attack her Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"

The Card Ejector lowered its staff at the plant and cast its spell, successfully destroying it.

As it faded from the field, Aki's monster's effect activated, shooting a bolt of energy at Carly. It caught her in the leg; she gritted her teeth against the shock.

"Next, Fortune Lady Light will attack directly!" cried Carly, feeling a buzzing sensation inside her head.

The fortune lady's burst of light struck Aki, damaging her life points. Had she flinched at the strike? Was that a grimace from her? Carly wasn't sure, but it seemed like Aki had reacted to the hit.

"My turn isn't done yet. I activate Card Ejector's effect, removing the Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in your graveyard from play. Now you can't bring it back!"

Jack cheered. Yusei and Aki smiled at her move.

I'm back in this, thought Carly. But it was Aki's turn now. What did she have planned?

* * *

End of Chapter Eight

* * *

Duel Summary

Turn 1 – Carly

Carly's hand contains Fortune Lady Earth, Magical Dimension, Ebon Magician Curran, Fortune Lady Light and Fortune Lady Dark. She draws Card Ejector. Carly summons Fortune Lady Light (?/?) in Defence Position. Fortune Lady Light's Atk and Def are equal to her level times 200; since her level is 1, Fortune Lady Light's Atk and Def become 200 (Fortune Lady Light ?-}200;?-}200). Carly ends her turn.

Turn 2 – Aki

Aki draws. She sets a monster and ends her turn.

Turn 3 – Carly

Carly draws Solidarity. Fortune Lady Light's effect activates during her standby phase, increasing its level by 1 and its Atk and Def by 200 (Fortune Lady Light Lv1-}2, Atk/Def 200-}400). She summons Ebon Magician Curran (1200/0) in Attack Position and switches Fortune Lady Light into Attack Position. Ebon Magician Curran attacks Aki's set monster, which is revealed as Dark Verger. Fortune Lady Light attacks Aki directly (Aki 4000-}3600). Carly ends her turn.

Turn 4 – Aki

Aki draws. She summons Phoenixian Seed (800/0) in Attack Position. She then activates its effect, Tributing it to Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis (2200/0) in Attack Position. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis attacks Ebon Magician Curran, destroying it (Carly LP 4000-}3000). Aki then activates Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis's effect, destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard, which inflicts 800 damage to Carly (Carly LP 3000-}2200). During Aki's end phase, she banishes Phoenixian Seed from her Graveyard to Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in Defence Position, and ends her turn.

Turn 5 – Carly

Carly draws Fortune Lady Fire. Fortune Lady Light's effect activates during her standby phase, increasing its level by 1 and its Atk and Def by 200 (Fortune Lady Light Lv2-}3, Atk/Def 400-}600). She summons Card Ejector in Attack Position. Card Ejector attacks Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, destroying it. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis's effect activates on being destroyed, doing 800 damage to Carly (Carly LP 2200-}1400). Fortune Lady Light attacks Aki directly (Aki LP 3600-}3000). Carly activates Card Ejector's effect, banishing Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from Aki's Graveyard, and ends her turn.

Duel continued next chapter


	9. Chapter 9 - Crucible

A/N: Had to rewrite this chapter a little bit, as I wasn't happy with how I had written Aki, so it took a little longer to get this chapter out than I expected. As I think I mentioned before chapters will be slower to come out because I'm heading towards exams, but I'm still trying to get new stuff out regularly; at least one chapter a week, where I can.

Thank you all very much for your reviews so far, I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)

As a last note, there are too many awesome stories on here to keep up with (as much as I'd love to!), but the two I am are The Thing at the Door by SheRa-ver and The Darkness Within by Doccy Larsson Seraphim. I recommend reading them both as they are pretty awesome :)

* * *

Chapter 9: Crucible

* * *

Aki struggled with the memories in her mind as Carly finished her turn.

She had definitely felt something there, from that direct attack. The psychic potential was there, she was sure of it. It was a good move too, removing her Amaryllis from play. It was one of her top cards.

So, now she was sure the potential was there, how could she help Carly realise it? If she could bring out that power, would she be able to control it?

Again she wondered if this duel was too risky. To bring out Carly's power, Aki would have to push her emotionally. She had to gather her own power to do that, and that meant opening herself up to her past once again.

Aki's control over her power had always been tenuous and elusive, and she hadn't been in a duel for a long time where she'd needed to worry about that like here. Divine was the one who could control his power effectively, and she had never been exactly sure how had he managed it. And now that she had the full extent of her powers available to her, since the battle with Misty, the control was even harder to maintain.

But she was determined to help Carly, however she could. Aki had had to deal with her power alone, through most of her life. Her parents had loved her, but could do nothing to help her. Divine was the only one who could, even if he had only done so to further his own agenda. But now Aki was in a position where she could help someone else to deal with their psychic power.

She wasn't entirely sure if her idea would work, but she was going to try. Aki owed it to everyone she had hurt in her life to try to help Carly.

She recalled what Divine had put her through. She recalled her early years when she'd been feared by her schoolmates and her parents. She recalled all the pain she had borne over the years.

Aki felt the power surge inside her.

Well Carly, we've come this far. Let's keep going.

Please, let this work, she thought as she began her turn.

* * *

"My turn. I draw!" said Aki.

Carly had a couple of plans to use for her next turn, but it would depend on what Aki did first. And she looked very determined.

"I summon Twilight Rose Knight, in defence position."

The knight appeared on the field, moving into a defensive crouch.

"Now I activate its effect," Aki continued. "When it is successfully Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a level four or lower plant-type monster from my hand. So I bring forth Evil Thorn!"

The sinister looking plant rose out of the ground. It looks nasty, Carly thought, but it only has an attack strength of one hundred. Why bring that out?

"Now I activate the effect of my Evil Thorn. By sending it to the graveyard, I can inflict three hundred damage and Special Summon two more Evil Thorns from my deck!"

The Evil Thorn opened its bulbous seed pod and fired a storm of seeds at Carly.

Ow! That shock was the worst yet, she thought, as they struck. And there were two more of those creatures on the field now. Would they get their effects too?

Aki seemed to read her thoughts. "Lucky for you they don't get to activate their effects because of the way they were summoned. So I'll set a card and end my turn there."

She was down to only eleven hundred life points, and she was beginning to feel a little dizzy. But Carly was surprised Aki had summoned the Evil Thorns in attack position. With only one hundred attack points they were easy pickings. She could turn that to her advantage.

"My turn. I draw."

It was Future Visions. Carly didn't see how it could help her just yet, but she might find a use for it later. First of all she needed to get back in this duel by destroying those Evil Thorns.

"Fortune Lady Light's effect activates. Her level increases to four, giving her another two hundred attack and defence points. But she's not staying around, because I'm tributing her to summon Fortune Lady Earth!"

The brown-clad spellcaster appeared on the field, brandishing its staff. It was her most powerful monster.

"Like Fortune Lady Light, Fortune Lady Earth's attack and defence are determined by her level, this time multiplied by four hundred. Since Fortune Lady Earth is level six that gives her twenty four hundred!"

But Carly wasn't done. She had another trump card to play.

"Next I activate Solidarity," she said, inserting the card into the duel disk. "As long as I only have one type of monster in my graveyard, all monsters of that type on my field get an extra eight hundred attack!"

Carly felt triumphant. Her Fortune Lady Earth was up to thirty two hundred attack points. One attack could win the duel for her. But Aki didn't seem fazed.

"Perhaps you're unaware of my Twilight Rose Knight's special effect," she said. "When it's on the field, you can't select a plant-type monster as an attack target."

Carly was concerned for a moment, but realised she could still win the duel. She just needed to attack in the right order. She struggled to focus as her dizziness intensified.

"Card Ejector, attack her Twilight Rose Knight!"

The spellcaster, also powered up by the Solidarity spell, launched a bolt of energy; it struck the rose knight with full effect, destroying it. Now Carly could attack the other monsters.

"Fortune Lady Earth, attack her Evil Thorn!"

The fortune lady conjured a wave of spikes out of the ground against the plant. But Aki was activating a set card.

"I activate Nutrient Z. When I take more than two thousand battle damage this turn, I gain four thousand life points before taking the damage."

Oh no, Carly thought in frustration. I forgot about that set card. She had missed her chance to win!

The Nutrient Z capsule appeared on the field. It opened, releasing green energy which surrounded Aki. Then the attack hit. The Evil Thorn withered quickly under the barrage. Aki took the brunt of the attack, driving her to one knee, gritting her teeth and grunting at the shock.

Carly was stunned. Aki had been hurt. It was not just a holographic effect; the attack had done real damage.

"Aki!" she cried. "Are you ok?"

Aki recovered from the blow and looked back at her.

Carly recoiled. There was darkness in those eyes, malevolence staring at her. What was going through Aki's head right now? And, Carly thought, how will it affect the duel? Yusei and Jack looked equally concerned.

"Aki? I think we've done enough," Carly suggested. "You've convinced me I have some sort of power. Let's end this now before one of us gets seriously hurt."

"Is your turn over?" said Aki in reply.

Carly shivered at the flatness of her voice, but Aki seemed to show no interest in stopping the duel. Alright then, she thought, we keep going. I hope you'll be ok, Aki.

"I activate Card Ejector's effect, banishing the Twilight Rose Knight in your graveyard. With that I end my turn."

Carly was not looking forward to Aki's next turn. Feelings of dread surged within her, warring with the dizziness in her head. Next turn was going to be an ordeal.

* * *

Aki was losing control.

One more push and Carly's power would truly come out, she thought. But her emotions were threatening to boil over.

The feelings of hate and anger she had carried through her life were still raw in her mind. While she'd changed a great deal in the past couple of weeks, it didn't make up for the years that she had suffered as an outcast. Divine's treatment of her and others like her only made her feel angrier and more frustrated. She recalled the pain he had inflicted on her because of his experiments, and the ridiculous pain she still felt at losing him from her life.

This was a mistake. She had gone too far in this duel. She had thought herself in control, but she wasn't.

I should stop this now, she thought. But I can't. Carly needs my help.

But I need to hurry this duel along, before I do lose control.

"Aki, I think that's enough," Yusei was saying. "This is affecting you more than you're letting us believe."

"No!" she replied angrily. "We continue."

It was time to test their limits, both Carly's and her own. It was time to go all out.

* * *

Carly didn't like the expression on Aki's face. It was determined and angry.

"My turn. First I draw! Now I summon Witch of the Black Rose in attack position!"

The spellcaster appeared on the field. It didn't look very threatening, Carly thought, but she knew it was likely more dangerous than it appeared.

"Next I activate my spell card, Mark of the Rose! By removing one of the Evil Thorns in my graveyard from play, I can take control of your Card Ejector!"

The rose mark appeared on Carly's spellcaster's cheek, and the female magician moved to Aki's side of the field.

"Now we really take this duel to the next level, Carly!" cried Aki.

Yusei seemed to understand what was happening. "Aki, wait!" he shouted. But Aki was not listening.

"I tune my level four Witch of the Black Rose to my level three Card Ejector!" she cried.

Witch of the Black Rose morphed into four bright stars, transforming into a column of green light which surrounded Card Ejector. Carly could feel her heart pounding. This could only mean one thing – a Synchro Summon!

"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"

Carly gaped as the huge dragon appeared over their duel. This is her ace, she thought. She'd seen her use it at the Fortune Cup. What had she got herself in for? Yusei and Jack looked fearful, but they weren't the ones in the firing line here; she was.

"I activate Black Rose Dragon's effect!" said Aki. "When it is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy all cards on the field. Black Rose Dragon, clear the field with your Black Rose Gale!"

The mighty dragon conjured its windstorm power, destroying Carly's Fortune Lady Earth and Solidarity spell as well as the last remaining Evil Thorn. Carly was staggered by the force of the winds. It was like facing a tornado. It was all she could do to hold on, and she could see Yusei and Jack struggling likewise.

With its task complete, the dragon left the field. Carly felt weak from the effort of keeping her balance. Aki maintained her furious expression.

"I set one card face down and end my turn," she finished.

Carly felt defeated. Her life points were low and the fury of Aki's monster had taken a lot of the fight out of her. She looked around. Yusei's expression told of his worry for Aki; he was not happy with the direction this duel had gone. But Jack was smiling.

"Jack, what is it?" she asked. He turned to her.

"Black Rose Dragon was her best card, but it destroys itself with its own effect!" he replied confidently. "You can do this, Carly! She had to bring out her best card and now it's left her open to attack. You can get back in this!"

Yusei turned on him. "Jack, are you mad? This duel has gone on long enough. Aki is not fit to continue! She is not in control of herself."

"Carly must finish this!" Jack retorted. "She can't back down now! Carly can win this duel!"

She wished she shared Jack's confidence. But he was right. She had survived Aki's strongest monster. And now the field was open for a direct attack.

But should she continue? What if she hurt Aki again? What if one of them got hurt badly, or fatally?

"Stop wasting time!" called Aki in a harsh voice. Carly noticed that her hairpin had fallen out, and her hair hung across her face. It looked pretty intimidating.

"Just accept defeat!" she continued. "You can't win this duel. Jack doesn't know what you're up against. He's just an excuse for a former King, after all."

Carly bristled at the remark. She trusted Jack. She believed in what he was saying. Aki had no right to belittle him like that. Jack looked shocked at Aki's remarks. Carly had to take action here, to end this duel. Perhaps winning was the only way.

"You're wrong, Aki. Jack is a true king. And I'm going to prove it."

* * *

Carly was surprised at how calm, how in control she felt. She could feel the indignation surging in her from Aki's remarks.

"It's my turn! I draw."

She had drawn Pot of Avarice. A nice card, though she couldn't use it yet, as she didn't have enough monsters in her graveyard. But now was the time to pull out all the stops to win, and she had been keeping the cards to do it with.

"First I summon Fortune Lady Fire to the field."

The red-robed fortune lady appeared, clutching a flame-topped staff in one hand.

"But she's not staying," Carly continued. "For I use my Magical Dimension spell card! I tribute Fortune Lady Fire to summon Fortune Lady Dark in attack position!"

The fortune lady transformed into energy, which turned purple and reformed into a humanoid shape, clutching a staff pulsing with black lightning.

"As with other fortune ladies, Fortune Lady Dark's attack and defence points are determined by her level times four hundred," Carly explained. "As she is level five, her attack and defence are two thousand! And she's attacking you directly right now!"

The dark spellcaster flourished her staff and sent a bolt of black lightning straight at Aki.

"Too predictable," was all she said as she activated a trap card.

"I activate Wicked Rebirth! By paying eight hundred life points I can Special Summon one Synchro monster back from my graveyard! Arise now, Black Rose Dragon!"

The sky darkened as the dragon once again appeared over the duel. Carly was faced with a replay, as there was now a monster on Aki's side of the field, and it was stronger than her Fortune Lady Dark. I can't attack, she thought. But I can activate this spell card.

"I activate Pot of Avarice! With this card I can shuffle five monsters from my graveyard back into my deck, and draw two cards!"

She drew her two cards. They were Fortune Lady Earth and White Magician Pikeru. Her heart sank. Neither of them was strong enough to take on Aki's dragon.

"I end my turn," finished Carly.

"That's the best you can do?" cackled Aki, as she began her turn. Her voice had an unpleasant edge to it. "How pathetic. To think you were a Dark Signer!"

Carly felt her heart break as she remembered what she had done as a Dark Signer. How could Aki be so horrible? She was better off keeping those memories buried. She had hurt Jack so badly, had nearly killed him and turned him into one of them.

The bitterness inside her seemed to fill every ounce of her body. She had picked up a bad headache at some point, and it throbbed inside her. She blinked a couple of times to focus her vision.

"Black Rose Dragon, attack her Fortune Lady Dark! Black Rose Flare!"

The dragon's fire obliterated her fortune lady and knocked Carly back. That shock was the worst yet, she thought.

"That's my turn done," said Aki with a cruel smile.

Carly looked into her eyes. They seemed devoid of empathy or concern for her opponent. Aki, she thought, what could drive you to act like this? Carly wished Jack and Yusei would step in, but they looked afraid and hesitant, as if they felt powerless to intervene. Her throbbing headache felt worse than ever.

She had two monsters in her hand. She would have to protect the last of her life points.

"My turn. I draw!"

Here we go, she thought. Finally my luck is in.

She had drawn Mystical Space Typhoon. This could destroy a spell or trap on the field. That trap was the only thing keeping her dragon out of the graveyard, and she could take that trap out right now.

"What will happen to Jack, when you lose?" Aki asked suddenly. "Maybe I'll duel him next. He can find out what it's like to duel with the Black Rose."

Carly felt her emotions burst within her. Indignation, frustration, her love for Jack. She would not let him suffer at the hands of this woman!

"I activate my spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon! It destroys your trap card!"

But even as she activated it, she could sense something was wrong. She felt power surging inside her, power that was out of her control.

A tornado formed out of a cloudless sky, filling the empty lot where they were duelling. Carly felt herself blown back against a nearby building. At the edge of her vision she could see Aki had been blown back also. Yusei and Jack were struggling against the force of the winds, but they were fighting a losing battle.

And then, as quickly as the winds had arrived, they faded.

Carly was dazed. She felt weak and confused. What had just happened?

She felt Jack lift her up, carry her back to the house. Yusei was just behind with Aki. The woman was unconscious. I hope she's all right, Carly thought.

* * *

Jack quickly got Carly back to the house and into the room she had been staying in. He didn't quite understand all that had been happening, but from Yusei he gathered that Aki's powers were still not completely in her control as she had asserted.

He looked over Carly again. She seemed dazed and weak, but there didn't appear to be any injury, to his relief. She would be fine, hopefully.

She would recover and be alright again. He hoped desperately that she would. She had only been back in his life a matter of hours, but he understood now how much he needed her.

"Jack," said Yusei, entering the room. "Aki seems to be ok, though I won't know for sure until she wakes up. That last effect knocked her out."

Jack nodded. "Same with Carly. I think she will be ok. I hope."

Yusei and Jack shared a look before leaving the room. They knew things had gone too far in that duel, and both of them regretting not stepping in. Now it was too late.

Jack shook his head. Please be okay, Carly.

* * *

End of Chapter Nine

* * *

Duel Summary

Continued from Previous Chapter

Turn 6 – Aki

Aki draws. She summons Twilight Rose Knight (1000/1000) in Defence Position. She then activates Twilight Rose Knight's effect when it is successfully Normal Summoned, which allows her to Special Summon a level 4 or lower plant-type monster from her hand; she summons Evil Thorn (100/300). Aki then activates Evil Thorn's effect, Tributing Evil Thorn to do 300 damage to Carly (Carly LP 1400-}1100) and Special Summoning two more Evil Thorns from her deck in Attack Position with their effects negated. Aki sets a card and ends her turn.

Turn 7 – Carly

Carly draws Future Visions. Fortune Lady Light's effect activates during her standby phase, increasing its level by 1 and its Atk and Def by 200 (Fortune Lady Light Lv3-}4, Atk/Def 600-}800). She tributes Fortune Lady Light for Fortune Lady Earth (?/?) in Attack Position. Fortune Lady Earth's Atk and Def are equal to her level times 400; since her level is 6, Fortune Lady Earth's Atk and Def become 2400 (Fortune Lady Earth ?-}2400;?-}2400). Carly then activates Solidarity by only having one type of monster in her Graveyard (Spellcaster-Type), which increases the Atk of those type of monsters on her field by 800 (Fortune Lady Earth 2400-}3200, Card Ejector 400-}1200). Card Ejector attacks Twilight Rose Knight, destroying it. Fortune Lady Earth attacks Evil Thorn, but Aki activates Nutrient Z, increasing her life points by 4000 before the attack hits (Aki LP 3000-}7000). Evil Thorn is destroyed (Aki LP 7000-}3900). Carly activates Card Ejector's effect, banishing Twilight Rose Knight from Aki's Graveyard, and ends her turn.

Turn 8 – Aki

Aki draws. She summons Witch of the Black Rose (1700/1200) in Attack Position. She then activates Mark of the Rose, banishing Evil Thorn from her Graveyard to take control of Carly's Card Ejector. She tunes her Witch of the Black Rose to Card Ejector, Synchro Summoning Black Rose Dragon (2400/1800) in Attack Position. Aki activates Black Rose Dragon's Synchro Summon effect, destroying all cards on the field. She then sets a card and ends her turn.

Turn 9 – Carly

Carly draws Pot of Avarice. She summons Fortune Lady Fire (?/?) in Attack Position. Fortune Lady Fire's Atk and Def are equal to her level times 200; since her level is 2, Fortune Lady Fire's Atk and Def become 400 (Fortune Lady Fire ?-}400;?-}400). She then activates Magical Dimension, tributing Fortune Lady Fire to Special Summon Fortune Lady Dark (?/?) in Attack Position. Fortune Lady Dark's Atk and Def are equal to her level times 400; since her level is 5, Fortune Lady Dark's Atk and Def become 2000 (Fortune Lady Dark ?-}2000;?-}2000). Fortune Lady Dark attacks Aki directly, but Aki activates Wicked Rebirth, spending 800 life points (Aki LP 3900-}3100) to Special Summon Black Rose Dragon (2400/1800) in Attack Position. A replay occurs and Carly does not battle. She activates Pot of Avarice, shuffling five monsters from her Graveyard back into her deck and drawing two cards. Carly draws Fortune Lady Earth and White Magician Pikeru. She ends her turn.

Turn 10 – Aki

Aki draws. Black Rose Dragon attacks Fortune Lady Dark, destroying it (Carly LP 1100-}700). Aki ends her turn.

Turn 11 – Carly

Carly draws Mystical Space Typhoon. She tried to activate it to destroy Aki's Wicked Rebirth, but the effect runs wild. The duel is stopped at this point.


	10. Chapter 10 - An Ending and a Beginning

Chapter 10: An Ending and a Beginning

* * *

Carly finished looking over the article she had put together.

Yusei had scavenged a laptop from somewhere and repaired it so she could use it for her writing. Carly was incredibly grateful for Yusei's talents with electronics, as she could now complete her article regarding the events of a few days ago; that was the main reason she'd come to Satellite in the first place, after all.

She had woken a few hours after her duel with Aki had ended. Carly remembered what had happened in the duel, but still couldn't understand what had happened to Aki. Yusei had explained a little to her about Aki's past as the Black Rose Witch, and assured her that the matter would be sorted in time.

Carly still felt like she was missing out on the whole story; she never liked being in that position. But she respected Yusei's opinion and decided to keep her focus on her article.

"Is it ready?" asked Jack.

Carly looked at him. He had been hovering over her since she had woken up. He was obviously worried about her. She was still amazed at how he had changed over the time she had come to know him, how he had become so protective of her. Then again, knowing what had happened between them when she was a Dark Signer, she thought she could understand why.

"Yes," she replied. "Let's see if this video link will work."

With Jack's help, she had managed to establish a rough video link through to the city. Carly began her call through the link. Let's get this resolved, she thought.

* * *

Ushio's videophone chimed.

He frowned, looking at the caller location identifier. It was coming from Satellite. But Sector Security there weren't due to report for a few more hours.

He accepted the call. Carly's face appeared on the screen.

"Carly? Is that you?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Hello, Ushio. Thanks to Yusei, we managed to get this link working."

"Good to see you. So you made it to Martha's, by the look of it. I'm pleased to hear that."

"Actually, it didn't go that smoothly," Carly replied. "I had a run in with a couple of guys before I made it here."

"A run in?" asked Ushio, concerned. "What happened?"

"They challenged me to a duel in the street. I managed to beat them, but they weren't happy and chased me. I blacked out at some point; must have hit my head or something. When I woke up, I was at Martha's. Crow had found me and bought me there. Said the guys' names were Zippy and Theo."

Ushio was shocked. He had heard the fortune-telling reporter had a streak of bad luck, but he had never expected her to come across two of the most notorious men in Satellite. They belong in prison for life, he thought.

"I see. Well those two are bad news. I'm glad to see that you're ok—"

"Ushio Tetsu!" raged Martha as she put her face in view of the video link. "How could you let a girl wander through the streets of Satellite on her own like this? She could have been killed! How could you be so negligent?"

"Y-you are right, of course!" stammered Ushio. "I'm very sorry, Carly! I didn't mean for you to have any kind of trouble."

"It's ok, Martha," said Carly from behind the older woman. "I was lucky to even get here. It's not his fault. I should have been more careful."

Martha still looked angry, but she moved out of the picture. Ushio thought he could hear her muttering in the background.

"Anyway," continued Carly. "I'm calling you for a favour. I know everything that happened now – Yusei and the others have filled me in – and I've written an article."

Ushio felt butterflies in his stomach. He knew the reaction an article like that would get around the city. Some would never believe it, but others would use it as an excuse to cause trouble. It would be a major headache for the Public Security Maintenance Bureau for years, if not decades.

"I see. What does the article describe?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

Carly lowered her head. A sad, resigned expression crossed her face.

"It describes how the Arcadia building was badly damaged in an explosion," she said, in a quiet voice. "It also mentions how a similar explosion occurred in the Satellite, with a much more destructive effect. The causes of the explosions are unknown, but Sector Security is investigating the incidents."

Ushio couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. That wasn't the true story. And he knew Yusei and the others would not hide the truth from her.

He rubbed his chin. So she'd covered it up herself. Ushio knew it must have taken quite the effort to do that.

"Very well then. If you send me the article over the line I'll pass it on to Mikage. I'm sure we can get the article to your boss at the paper in time for tomorrow's edition."

"Thank you, Ushio," replied Carly, still looking sad. Ushio tried to reassure her.

"You've made the right choice, Carly. I can tell you don't like it, and I agree with you, but I think you've made the right choice here."

Carly didn't look any more at ease. But at least he had tried, he thought.

"Would you also be able to tell my boss I will be staying here for the time being?" she asked. "I will be writing regular articles for him, but I will be working from here, for now. Mention I will getting exclusive interviews with the former duel king Jack Atlas and new king Yusei Fudo – that will get his attention I'm sure."

"Of course, Carly," replied Ushio. "Stay safe! There are more hazards in Satellite than criminals."

Carly nodded, still looking downcast, and cut the link.

Ushio opened the article to examine it for himself. It was as she described it; unexplained explosions, official investigations. Nowhere was there a mention of Dark Signers, or black fog, or geoglyphs. Nowhere was there a mention of Godwin. The entire story was a fabrication, and Ushio knew it.

He couldn't help but feel guilty, even as he forwarded it on to Mikage.

* * *

Carly felt ashamed. Even though a part of her agreed with what she had done, she felt ashamed.

She was a journalist. It was her job to report what was going on, to provide an accurate and complete account of events. Not write fake articles about 'unexplained explosions'. No matter how right Ushio and Mikage had been about not sharing the truth of those events, and how much she agreed with that sentiment now, she could not reconcile herself with what she had written.

"That must have been hard, Carly," said Martha. "Why did you decide not to publish the truth in the end?"

Carly rested her head on the table.

"Who would believe it?" she replied. "Flaming geoglyphs? Earthbound gods? If my boss published a story like that – if he could even believe it himself – the paper would go bust overnight. People wouldn't be able to accept it."

"Well, it's done now, Carly," said Yusei, concerned. "I know it's not how you wanted to write it, but you've finished it."

"That's right," agreed Jack. "It's time for you to leave your concerns about it behind."

They were right. Of course they were right, she thought. She had made this decision, and she had to accept it.

"Almost makes me wish for the good old days," Carly said, trying to sound cheerful. "Back when I was just writing about street duels."

"Listen to you lot!" said Martha, laughing. "You're too young to be talking about the good old days! Wait until you get to my age; you'll have plenty of good stories then."

"So it's true then?" Jack asked in a hopeful voice. "You're… staying here?"

"I couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be right now," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "Besides, I have you and Yusei to interview, and I have an idea for a regular piece I'd like to write about while I'm here."

Yusei looked uncertain at being the object of an interview, but Jack laughed. "Still trying that interview trick? Well, I may be the former king, but I'm still 'The King'!"

They all laughed at that.

"What regular piece did you plan on writing?" asked Martha.

"It'll be about the people here," replied Carly. "Since I was young I've always loved to talk about people's successes and bring their stories to the world. But I kind of lost touch with that in the city, I think. I got too focused on making a career for myself, and leaving out the people who might not get a chance to make one of their own. Plus when the Daedalus Bridge is completed, there won't be any barrier between the city and Satellite. If I can tell people what it's like here, before the bridge is finished, it might make it easier for the two communities to live together."

Martha looked impressed. "I think it's wonderful," she said, sounding happy.

* * *

At that moment, the door to Aki's room opened.

Clearing her throat, Martha stood up from the table. "Well, the day's getting on. I think we all have things to be doing, so we'd better get to them. Hadn't we?"

Yusei and Jack got up, mentioning they'd be in the garage as they left the house. Martha left to continue her late afternoon chores. Carly was left at the table by herself as Aki entered the room.

"May I sit down?" she asked Carly quietly.

"Of course," Carly replied.

As Aki sat down, Carly got straight to the point.

"I know you've been avoiding me," she said. "You're unhappy of what happened in that duel, right?"

"I am so sorry, Carly," replied Aki. "What happened was dreadful. I lost control of myself. I wanted to push you to try and draw out your power, but what happened was I couldn't keep control of my own. All those feelings from my life still haunt me, even when I thought I had dealt with them. I found myself as the Black Rose Witch again. I said some things I greatly regret, because of that, and I am truly sorry."

Carly shuddered as she remembered what she had said about her and about Jack.

"I'm just glad we are both alright, after that. I still can't believe what happened, though. Inflicting real damage on people! It's scary."

Aki smiled at that.

"It's ok. The fact that it scares you so much should make you feel happy, because it means that you won't want use your power in that way unless you have to. While I was the Black Rose Witch, I hurt people because I wanted to. It made me feel better about myself."

Carly knew Aki was right. The idea of hurting someone else like that horrified her. To remember that she had done it herself to many people during her time as a Dark Signer made it worse, regardless of whether she was being controlled at the time or not.

"But the duel helped me learn a few things," Aki continued. "That your determination and perseverance help you focus your power. You have a close bond with Jack, so that also acts to help you focus. But I also found my own limits. I thought I had gained complete control of my powers after the fight with the Dark Signers, but now I realise I haven't dealt with all my issues yet."

Carly nodded. "I'm sure you will work out what you need to do to resolve them."

"It won't be easy," said Aki gravely. "I have to change myself. Let go of the anger and hatred I'd kept for many years. Let go of Divine, who had still helped me even if he was only using me for my powers. I need to focus on more positive emotions, so that I can find a new channel for my power. And in the process I will help you, Carly. I'll do my best to help you learn to control your power."

Carly was moved by Aki's honesty and her own determination to overcome this ordeal they'd had, and on impulse moved over to hug her. She had a newfound respect for Aki now, for having lived with her power for so long and for having suffered so much in her life because of it. How would she have fared had she been in Aki's place? Would she have been as determined to redeem herself?

It reminded her of when she had talked to Jack back on the tower; that seemed like an eternity ago now. Carly felt that this moment was the end of her old life as the unlucky, lonely and desperate reporter. It was the beginning of a new life, of the reporter who had new friends and a new strength to chase her dreams. She still had her memories of her time in the Dark Signers, but they had matured her, forged her into a stronger person that she would have been without them. And that, she thought, is worth the pain of knowing what she had done.

Yes, Carly thought, the future is looking bright. And I don't need a card to tell me that.

* * *

End of Chapter Ten


	11. Chapter 11 - Sightseeing

A/N: It's an update! It's been far too long since I last updated and I apologise for that, but here's an update for you. The story's not over yet! There's still plenty to go.

The last chapter served to conclude the first part of the story. This chapter helps to lead into the next part, so I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 11: Sightseeing

* * *

The door thumped again.

Chief Koji wished Ushio would answer. There wasn't much time. But his luck was in.

"This is Ushio," he heard on the line. "What's the problem, Facility?"

"Sir! This is Koji. We have a break, repeat, we have a break. This is Omega Priority, sir!"

There was silence at the other end before Ushio spoke.

"Report! Now!" he thundered.

"We've barricaded ourselves in the office, but they're right outside," replied Koji. "They could break through the door at any—"

The door exploded inwards, showering the office in splinters.

Koji's two security assistants moved to block the doorway, but forks of black lightning struck both of them in the chest. They screamed as they disintegrated in surges of dark energy.

Koji almost dropped the phone. Standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the light from the corridor outside, was someone in a black hooded robe. The figure raised an arm towards him.

"It's too late! They've broken—"

His last sight was the figure's two vivid green eyes as black lightning shot towards him.

* * *

He wasn't used to carrying passengers, and his D-wheel wasn't built for it. Still, Jack thought, I think I can make do this time.

Carly sat awkwardly on his lap as they drove through the streets of Satellite. Jack wondered how they had got onto the topic of his past when they had been talking this morning. He was never comfortable talking about his life in Satellite, even after he had revealed the truth to her back in the city.

"_Come on Jack, this is where you grew up!" she was saying. "I'd love to see all those places you used to live!"_

"_Uh, they're not that special, Carly. A lot of them are just ruined buildings or such, which we used for a short time before moving on."_

"_They still mean something to you, though!" she replied. "Some places we live in or visit can really affect who we are or who we become. Remember the tower?" she added with a smirk._

Of course Jack could remember the tower. She was right about that. But most of the places in Satellite weren't like that.

"Cheer up!" said Carly. "You're not a very inspiring tour guide!"

Jack smiled and pointed off towards the right.

"You know about the B.A.D., of course. Before the Dark Signers arrived, it was an abandoned part of town, where all the worst of Satellite would gather. Security never patrolled there."

"Didn't Yusei hear from Godwin that it was because that was where the conflict with the Dark Signers was always going to take place?" asked Carly. "That he ordered security to stay away from there?"

"Something like that, I think. There's not much left of it, now. The damage done by the geoglyphs has pretty much levelled whatever buildings remained there."

Carly shivered against him. She was probably thinking of their duel again, Jack thought. He changed the subject.

"This was Domino City's main highway at one point, probably," he said, indicating the road they were travelling on. "Though you wouldn't think it now, given the state of it."

The highway was a mess of potholes and broken railings. It was a handy place to test D-wheels, though, as it was hardly ever used by anyone else. Jack expected that once the Daedalus Bridge was completed, the highway would be repaired and used again. It would take time, but eventually it would draw the traffic it used to support many years ago.

"It's nothing like the ones back in the city," Carly agreed.

"We spent quite a bit of time on this highway," Jack explained. "This is where we trained ourselves for riding duels."

He thought over all the duels he'd had down here, as they continued along the broken highway.

* * *

They drove past the old theatre.

"That's where I spent a great deal of my time, growing up," he said. "It had been abandoned since Zero Reverse. I can't remember how old I was when I found it, but it hasn't really changed since then."

"I remember the place," she said. "I could never forget it, now."

"I used to sit there for hours, sometimes, thinking I was a King. As I got older I began to realise I was actually sitting there because I wanted to be a King. To be someone of importance, of status, to have a life that meant something. I couldn't deal with the idea of just being another person in Satellite. I wanted to be more."

"I've seen how the people that live here are close to each other," replied Carly. "A lot of people would find plenty of meaning in helping out those closest to them. You had that yourself, with Yusei and the others, right?"

Jack sighed.

"I'd had to survive on my own from when I was very young. Even before I met Yusei and Crow, I had always been a loner and was wary of other people. We've been through a lot together, the three of us, but I think the breakup of Team Satisfaction turned me back towards that lone wolf persona."

"Then maybe that's why you liked that theatre so much," suggested Carly. "You prefer to be in control of yourself and your future, and after the breakup that was a place where you could feel in control."

Maybe she's right, Jack thought, as they continued through Satellite. He had never liked depending on others. He had always preferred being in control of his own life.

The idea occupied his thoughts as they sped through the streets.

* * *

They were coming up on Satellite Bay. Jack bought his D-wheel to a stop at the water's edge.

"This bay has been a big part of our lives here in Satellite," he began. "This is where I took that step, where I discarded my friendships for a chance at being a King."

"What did you do?" asked Carly.

"I left Rally on a boat out in the bay, and I forced Yusei to go and rescue him. That's when I took his Stardust Dragon card and his D-wheel, and headed to the city."

Carly was silent for a moment.

"I see. This Rally was a close friend of yours?"

"He was closer to Yusei than me," answered Jack. "He helped Yusei after the breakup, him and his friends. He was one of the few people who trusted me unconditionally. And I betrayed that trust."

"Oh, Jack," said Carly, looking back at him sadly.

"I must make it up to him, one day. He has forgiven me for it, but I haven't forgiven myself yet."

Carly was looking out over the bay. Jack could make out Neo Domino City on the horizon.

"You can see the highest buildings in the city from here," she said. "So many must come here, dreaming of maybe getting to the city one day."

Jack nodded. He had been one of them.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at a structure jutting out a short distance into the bay.

"That is the old Daedalus Bridge," supplied Jack. "It's probably one of the most important structures in Satellite, now, because it represents the hope the people here have of a better future. Soon, this is where the real bridge will connect Satellite to the city."

"You must be looking forward to it," said Carly.

"It feels strange, that the two places will be reunited. A lot is going to change."

She nodded her agreement.

They gazed out over the water in silence for a little longer, before Jack began to take the D-wheel to its next stop.

* * *

"That used to be a subway, but no trains have run there for many years. Yusei probably still uses it as a hideout, at times."

Carly looked where he was pointing. She could see the stairs heading down into the underground.

"This was where he met Rally and the others," Jack continued. "They still stay here, as far as I know."

"I still find it surprising how places like Martha's are so unique," said Carly. "So most people here simply find places to stay where they can?"

Jack nodded.

"They're rough places, by comparison to Martha's, but the people who live there think of it as their home."

Carly thought about how lucky she was in the city to have her own apartment. For most people here, having a private place to stay was near to impossible. It made her think about her own past, living in the city. She had never talked about that with anyone before; it was too personal. But maybe it was time.

"Before I got my apartment, Jack," she began. "I had to spend a couple of months living on the streets of the city. I had just arrived in Neo Domino, a silly girl with nothing but my dreams to hold on to. They were two of the hardest months of my life. Once I got my job with the paper, and my apartment, I resolved to never go back to that life, but I always remembered the people who weren't as lucky as I was. I think that is what I find so inspiring about the people here, that they remind me of that period in my life."

Jack was silent as he considered what she had said.

"You've never mentioned this before."

"It's not easy to talk about," replied Carly. "You know?"

"I do."

They sped on in silence.

* * *

They were passing through a large scrapyard. Jack knew this place in particular was a dumping ground for all sorts of electronic waste.

"We come to this scrapyard quite frequently," he explained to Carly. "As part of the garbage processing from the city, a lot of discarded electronics and such end up here. It's often a good spot for finding D-wheel parts, too."

"I can see how that would be appealing," Carly replied with a grin. Jack smiled in response, their eyes meeting.

"Some say the place is haunted," he continued. "That it's inhabited by the spirits of forgotten duellists. I've always thought it nonsense, myself."

"I bet it's just a way for you guys to keep people away, so you can get your hands on the good pieces here," she replied.

"Not quite, though it's an added bonus."

He spied something in the junk piles and bought his D-wheel to a stop.

"What is it, Jack?" asked Carly.

"See that there?" he asked, keeping his voice low. "That frame looks mostly intact. It's missing some panelling around the middle and needs some new tyres, and the screen is broken, but it looks good otherwise. I reckon we might be able to fix it up with a little time and effort."

He got off his own D-wheel and moved to examine the wrecked frame. Yes, it definitely wouldn't take too much to get it working again.

Jack quickly moved the contents of a nearby rubbish pile over the frame. Satisfied that it was sufficiently hidden, he brushed off his gloves and turned back. Carly was watching him with an amused expression.

"You can never assume people will leave things like that alone," he said seriously. "Around here, anything which isn't nailed down is fair game."

"I suppose that's fair enough," she replied.

Jack got back on his D-wheel, Carly returning to his lap, and he continued their trip through the scrapyard.

* * *

It wasn't long after they left the junkyard that they arrived a large building. Carly thought it looked pretty secure, surrounded with a metal fence topped with a layer of razor wire, and with security guards watching the main gate into the complex.

"There is the garbage processing factory," explained Jack. "This is probably one of the few formal workplaces in Satellite. This is where the pipeline to the city is."

"That was how you got to the city, right?" asked Carly.

Jack nodded. "To my knowledge, only two people have made use of it to get to the city proper; me and Yusei. It was only because of our D-wheels that we succeeded, because it's a very small window where the pipeline is clear. Nobody would ever make it on foot."

Carly shuddered at the idea of riding along a giant pipeline, trying to avoid garbage along the way. She was going to be a bit more appreciative of where her junk went when she got back to the city, that was for sure.

"It must have been pretty horrible," she commented.

"It wasn't really. Compared with what's happened since then, I mean. It doesn't seem like a very big deal, now."

She changed the subject. "So some places here are still relatively intact?"

"This area in particular was where they focused their repairs and rebuilding," said Jack. "For the factory, for example. There's also a couple of hospitals around here which have been repaired."

"How would you keep a hospital supplied out here?" asked Carly.

Jack laughed. "I never could figure that one out. Dr Schmitt, a friend of Martha's, always seemed to be pretty well supplied. We never did find out where he got his stuff from."

Carly thought about that. Imagine if this place had no doctors, or any way of dealing with the sick? Back in the city healthcare was readily accessible. Not for the first time she considered how lucky she had been.

"You know what?" suggested Jack. "I wonder if Godwin had something to do with it. He had always intended to keep Satellite and the city separate, but maybe he made sure the doctors here were well-supplied. He did some strange things like that; he was cruel and manipulative in some ways, but kind in others."

"He never seemed like a very caring person," she replied. Godwin had always seemed quite cold to her.

"He was originally from here, you know," said Jack. "The old bridge at the bay was built by him. Ask Crow to tell you about the legend of the bridge sometime."

Carly resolved to do that. Maybe she didn't understand Godwin as well as she thought she did.

She saw the orphanage in the distance.

"Is the tour nearly over?" she asked, disappointed.

Jack smiled at her. "I'm afraid so."

Oh well. It was enjoyable while it lasted.

Carly made another resolution, then; to spend as much time with Jack as she could while she was here. She wanted to know everything she could about him, to better understand where he had come from. She wasn't about to let him out of her sight again, not now.

* * *

Jack pulled up outside the orphanage.

He'd been surprised how enjoyable that had been. As awkward as it was having Carly on his lap like that, it hadn't been as hard to go around his old haunts as he had expected. Maybe he'd been too hard towards what had happened in his past.

"I bet you're thinking about that frame again," Carly teased him.

Jack smiled. "Actually I was thinking that maybe I was more at home here than I realised, back then. When I was younger, sometimes all I could think about was getting away from here."

Carly nodded.

"I miss the city," she admitted. "I miss my apartment and my car. I even miss my work. Part of me wants to get back there. But part of me is happy that I'm here, to experience what it's like where you grew up."

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I do too, Carly. I miss it too, you know."

As Carly entered the house, Jack looked back in the direction of the city. Even considering how he felt about his time in the city, he did miss it. There was always something happening, a duel tournament or something else. In some ways it felt more of a home to him than he felt Satellite was, but after that morning ride, he wasn't really sure where he felt most at home.

He wondered what was happening in the city now as he followed Carly into the house.

* * *

Usui wondered what all the noise was outside. Had there been a riot or something?

The cell door beeped as it was unlocked. A man opened it, walking through into Usui's cell. He was smartly dressed in a grey vest and tie, with dark trousers. Usui had never seen him before, but the man obviously carried himself with authority.

He looked Usui over, a frown crossing his features as he did so.

"Nope, not you," was all he said.

A woman in a black robe entered the cell behind the man. She had the hood of her robe up, but Usui could see she had long red hair and bright green eyes.

"The last guards have been dealt with," she said to the man in a cold voice. "The place is yours, Divine."

"Good," he replied. He looked at Usui.

"He has no potential. You can have him."

As the man left the cell, the woman turned her eyes on Usui. They glittered with anticipation.

Usui swallowed. This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Ushio still held onto the receiver, the line dead. Koji's words echoed in his ears.

Omega Priority. A complete loss of control.

He slowly replaced the receiver on the desk, and reached for a different phone. Direct line to the director's office. Nervously he picked it up and held it to his ear.

After a short time, it was answered.

"This is Jaeger."

Ushio took a deep breath.

"Sector Security Chief Ushio here, sir. There's been a prison break at the Facility. Omega Priority. All contact with security there has been lost."

* * *

End of Chapter Eleven

* * *

A/N: Just to clarify two of the characters in this chapter. Usui was one of Himuro's goons while Yusei was in the facility – he's the one in the orange jacket during Yusei's duel with Himuro. Koji is an original character for this story – he's the replacement chief for the Facility after Takasu was fired (after losing to Yusei).

Please review and tell me what you think! Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to come out, now that exams are nearly out of the way.


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